


When My Moon Rises, Your Sun Rises as Well

by CultureQueen



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Blood and Violence, Fairies, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied Sexual Content, Members from other groups get metioned here, Mild Language, Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2019-09-30 07:42:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17219777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CultureQueen/pseuds/CultureQueen
Summary: “I can’t continue to live in this world as if I belong. As if me and you aren’t like the bloodthirsty killers that took our parents away from us. I’ll keep running Taeyong, and I won’t stop until I find a reason to stay.”After the death of his parents sixty years ago, Mark Lee wanted nothing more than to avoid the things that reminded him of his past. Despite this, he returns to Seoul in an attempt to reconcile with his older brother Taeyong and investigate the death of his parents. Along the way, he meets a group of peculiar people with fascinating talents and a sassy witch whose smile rivals the sun and whose heart gave Mark a reason to stick around.





	1. Prologue

_ 16 December 1959 - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada  _

  
  


The thick blanket of snow on the ground was unforgiving, but Mark Lee was determined to trudge through it to get to his destination. Even in the multiple layers of clothes on his back, he was still freezing; cheeks pink and lips becoming more chapped as he continued walking. He was thankful that the snowfall itself had stopped a few days prior. As he came closer to the modest two-story house, Mark felt a smile stretch over his cold face. Seeing the familiar eggshell blue of his home sent the 20-year old racing down the sidewalk. He eagerly knocked at the door, bouncing on his toes in excitement to finally be home for break after months of grueling studying in school. After knocking on the door for the third time in a row, Mark heard small shuffling noises coming to the door, a sound that he was dying to hear since he went back to university. 

 

At the door was a small woman with short black hair and a speck of flour on her rosy cheek. She had a small crease form in the middle of her eyebrows in mild annoyance before recognizing who was incessantly knocking at her door. 

 

“Minhyung, you came home,” she exclaimed, instantly forcing Mark into a tight hug. She pulled away long enough to bring him inside where she continued to squeeze the life out of the young man before her. Mark’s mother finally let go of him with a big bright smile on her face and happiness in her eyes. 

 

“Why don’t you come and help me with dinner Minhyung? I need to call your father and brother and tell them to come home early.” 

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

It’s been a while since Mark had a proper home cooked meal with his family. As soon as his father heard the news that his youngest son was home, he drove as fast (and as safely) as he could to see him. Mark’s older brother Taeyong also came as quickly as he could. The older Lee was in town for the holidays as well, only getting home two days prior for a break from his graduate studies. When the two men stumbled into the house, Taeyong was quick to run and hug the life out of his little brother, not even hesitating to pick the younger boy off the ground and spin him in a circle. The reunion was soon cut off by their mother. 

“As much as I love seeing all of us together and under the same roof again, I didn’t slave over the stove for the food to get cold.” She stood with her hip cocked to the side, tapping her small feet against the hardwood floor of the living area. Despite the urgency of her wish, she still had a smile on her face. The two brothers continued to play fight their way into the dining area, actively avoiding the playful taps of their mother’s wooden spoon. After spending two hours eating and catching up, the small family moved to the living area to watch the news. The broadcast was the same as always: the weather forecast for the day, bland infomercials, stories about someone’s dog being saved, and updates on the war in Vietnam. It was one segment in particular that held the collective interest of the family. 

 

_ “Tonight we are going into more detail about the string of killings happening throughout the entirety of Vancouver. Police officials are saying that the death toll is now up to 12 people, all within the last 3 weeks. There have also been reports of similar killings in Toronto and Montreal where the numbers are even higher. Officials are still unsure of the significance of the killings. The only connection they have found are that all of the victims involved are found with violent, teeth-like puncture wounds in various parts of their bodies such as the neck, wrist, and chest. While police feel that this may be the work of wild animals, they are not ruling out the possibility of a person being involved. Some eyewitness accounts-” _

 

Mark’s father abruptly stood up and turned off the tv. Mark could hear the release of breath from his mother and see the slight look of fear in his older brother. His father finally turned around to regard his family with a melancholic look in his eyes.

 

“I don’t understand anything that is happening in this world anymore,” he began. The salt and pepper haired man ran a hand down his face and looked at a random spot on the wall. “After the Second World War, after the insanity in Korea and Vietnam and now the horrific events taking place in our town, is there anyplace safe for us? I moved our family away from Korea and back here for a better life but it’s almost as if life doesn’t want that.” The older man let out a sigh and looked to his family. To his beautiful wife and sons, whom he spent such a large portion of his life protecting and guiding. He only wanted what was best for them. 

 

Seeing his father like this made Mark’s heart sink. He was closest to his father, holding a lot of respect for the man. He laid the foundation that allowed Mark to become the person he was today. The last thing he wanted was to see the older man with a look of defeat, thinking he failed at being a father and husband. Mark stood up and rested his hand on his father’s shoulder, prompting him to look him in the eyes and hoping that it was enough to let him know he wasn’t a failure; that the events taking place were out of his hand and not his fault. 

 

“I think it’s about time for all of us to go to bed, yeah? It’s been a long day for all of us and some much needed rest is in order.” Mark patted his father on the shoulder and led him towards the stairs, helping his mother out of her seat along the way. Taeyong followed close behind, only stopping to pull Mark to the side once they’ve said their goodnights and ensured that both parents were in the room. He breathed deeply and began to whisper to his brother. 

 

“I don’t think those are animal killings Mark.” He looked up to the ceiling before continuing his statement. “I’ve been talking to some colleagues of mine, many from Korea and the United States. There is another force at hand that’s driving these killings. It’s happening everywhere. Here, in the States, Japan, China, Korea. Reports of the same situation in Germany and other European countries.The fact that we don’t know what it terrifies me.” He stopped to take a breath and looked back to Mark with wide and serious eyes. 

The youngest Lee took his brother by the shoulders and shook him a little. Mark knew that Taeyong could be a worrier from time to time, a trait that he got from their mother. 

 

“Taeyong, I know that everything is super crazy right now, but we’re going to be alright.” He smiled a little at his older brother and lightly smacked his face. “Don’t worry so much, you’re going to go grey like Dad. Just go to sleep and everything will be okay in the morning.” With that final statement, Mark went off to his room to go to sleep. 

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_ 17 December, 1959 - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada _

  
  


_ “This morning, police found 50 year-old Thomas Lee dead in his home. His wife Minjee was found just 300 yards away from her home, also pronounced dead. Based on the evidence, officials believe that the 45 year-old woman may have fought against her attacker before being killed. Their two sons, Taeyong who is a 24 year-old graduate student at Queen’s University and Mark, a 20 year-old sophomore at the University of Toronto, have not been found. Police believe the murders are connected to previous killings throughout the country and are doing their best to find the two brothers.” _


	2. Welcome Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is he here yet”, the pink haired man inquired, much to the dismay of the person currently in the room with him.
> 
> “For the seventh time Taeyong, your brother hasn’t shown up. Hell, I didn’t even know you had one until two hours ago.”

_January 2019 - Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea_

The atmosphere of the Jung household was lively. Guests weaved in and out of the residence, all dressed to the nines for the special ceremony that was to take place. The backyard was decorated in an array of rose pink, black, and white, all underneath a large heated canopy tent. White infinity chairs laced in black trim were separated by intricate designs made of pink and white roses laid on the ground. Each seating row had large bouquets of primrose, hibiscus, campanula, and baby’s breath organized in classic white vases on both sides. At the end of the aisle was an archway decorated with black lace, intricately intertwined with more pink and white roses. Under the arch was a table that held a smaller bouquet of flowers and three candles on a black satin tablecloth. Everything that was prepared for the wedding was beyond perfect. All except for one thing.

Lee Taeyong had become a considerably calmer person over the years. He worked hard for the past few decades to decrease the overwhelming amounts of anxiety that he’s had since childhood. However, as he continued pacing in front of the window, the situation that he was faced with only brought back the crippling panic that he fought to keep away for years.

“Is he here yet”, the pink haired man inquired, much to the dismay of the person currently in the room with him. His best friend, Ten, was doing a last minute press of the white suit jacket that Taeyong would be wearing down the aisle. The stress was evident on the shorter man’s face, what with being constantly asked if the grooms’ estranged brother had shown up. All while making sure the groom looked immaculate and was fully prepared to walk down the aisle.

“For the seventh time Taeyong, your brother hasn’t shown up. Hell, I didn’t even know you had one until two hours ago”, he replied. He turned the iron off and looked up to study the taller man’s face. Taeyong’s brows were furrowed and he was currently biting on his thumbnail, a nervous habit he had. Upon seeing this, Ten immediately rushes to his side and snatched his hand from his mouth.

“Jesus Christ, do not do that. Your nails are going to look a mess and Jaehyun isn’t going to want to kiss you if you’ve been chowing down on some claws.” He pulled out a piece of gum and stuck it into Taeyong’s mouth, much to the displeasure of the older. It wasn’t exactly like brushing teeth but it would have to do. Ten carefully helped Taeyong put on the suit jacket and proceeded to fix any hairs that were out of place. When he was finished with his handiwork, Ten stepped in front of his best friend and looked him over with a smile. He turned the groom around to look into the full-size mirror and placed both of his hands on his shoulders.

“I understand that you’re upset about your brother. I would be too if anyone in my family missed my wedding.” Ten paused for a moment before continuing on. “Look Tae, the most important thing is today. You are going to walk down that aisle and marry the man of your dreams. Any resulting issues can be handled after the ceremony is over. For now…”, he pulled away from Taeyong and admired his friend. “For now, you’re going to go out there and kick ass. It isn’t every day you get married to a vampire.” Taeyong raised an eyebrow at Ten but decided against commenting. Ten was so caught up in the moment that he almost forgot to tell the groom to get rid of his gum.

“Spit the flavored plastic in my hand, it’s almost time for the ceremony to begin.” At that moment a knock was heard at the door followed by two figures entering the room. Johnny, the tallest of the two men, spoke first.

“Hey! Ten, babe I love you and everything, but I think Taeyong is done. He has to be downstairs in a ready to walk in five minutes.” The sounds of people filing outside of the house towards their seats under the large tent floated upstairs into the room. Taeyong took one last glance into the mirror before following Johnny outside. The second man, Moon Taeil, a long time family friend of the Jungs and an endearing older brother figure for Taeyong, was to be the one walking Taeyong down the aisle. The idea of it made Taeyong chuckle a little to himself, receiving looks from Ten.

“What are you laughing about”, the shorter man asked, confused about his best friend’s sudden change in moods. Taeyong stopped at the back exit that led towards the cold January air that awaited them outside. It didn’t really bother Taeyong that he couldn’t feel just how cold it was. He hasn’t been able to for sixty years now. Taeyong continued to look forward.

“It’s nothing Ten. Just thinking about something.” He finally regarded the younger man beside him and smiled while also making waving motions towards him and Johnny, signaling the two to leave. “Go and get in your places, it’s almost showtime remember?” Ten rolled his eyes at the groom before grabbing the hand of his statuesque partner and walked out of the door towards the tent. After they left, Taeyong took a deep breath and linked arms with Taeil.

“Are you ready to go,” the older man inquired, smiling at the groom. Every aesthetic aspect of the wedding was perfect, but only one thing would’ve made it even better. He prepared himself to face the section where his family and friends would sit only to find that three bodies were missing from that area. The death of his parents was something that still hurt Taeyong to this day. However, the worst pain was the pain in not having his younger brother here to help him celebrate this new chapter in his life. Mark was always in and out of Taeyong’s life since their parents’ death. The last time the older Lee saw him was twelve years ago. He wasn’t entirely sure about Mark’s whereabouts. Jaehyun worked hard to help Taeyong find him, sending multiple copies of wedding invitations and save the dates to places that Mark has lived in over the years. All he could do was hope that his brother was safe and had caught wind of the news in enough time to bother showing up. Jaehyun’s family was very prominent in the vampire community, being one of the last Purebred vampire families in existence. To hear that Jung Yoonwoo’s son was getting married (and to a Convert vampire nonetheless) was exciting news. Despite the overwhelming disappointment, Taeyong wasn’t going to let this get him down. He was going to marry the love of his life, with or without his brother there to watch it. He took another deep breath and put on his biggest smile, tightening his hold on Taeil’s arm.

I’m more than ready.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mark had attended a lot of weddings before, but never in the eighty years that he’s lived on this Earth has he been to one like this.

The entire area was beyond packed. There had to have been at least 250, 300 people under this giant tent. It reminded him of the revival tents that a few of his relatives attended for church, but on a much larger scale. He had to admit that it was decorated quite beautifully; the work put into it had to be expensive. Considering the fact that one of the grooms of this wedding came from a well-off family, Mark wouldn’t have expected anything less. He sat in the very back in an area where he knew he wouldn’t be easily detectable. As he was admiring the detail of the chair in front of him, the wedding march began to play. The echo of people standing up wasn’t enough to distract him from the sight of the groom walking down the aisle.

Now Mark was in no means unattractive. He was always complimented on his features by people, both men, and women. But between the two of them, Taeyong was always the more striking as far as looks. He had the large, expressive eyes of their mother and her beautiful yet shy smile. His nose and jawline were sharp and at first glance, people often believed that he was scary or intimidating. However, his kind heart and the small remnants of their mother’s facial features were what took people’s breath away. He wore an all-white suit with a black bowtie, black cummerbund, and black shoes. Pinned to the left side of his chest was a boutonniere made of pink tulips, white primrose, and baby’s breath. A shorter man accompanied Taeyong in walking down the aisle dressed in similar attire. As they made their way towards the front, several people in Mark’s vicinity commented on sight of the man of the hour.

“Jaehyun’s groom is just lovely isn’t he?”  
“In any other occasion pink hair would be beyond formal but he makes it look so immaculate.”  
“Out of all of the partners Jaehyun has had, Taeyong is by far the prettiest.”

Mark smiled to himself. Even sixty years later, Taeyong was still turning heads. The march finally died down and the ceremony began to commence. The part where the officiator gave a speech was always the most boring in Mark’s opinion and he ignored the majority of it until it was time for the vows. He sat up straighter, giving his full attention to the couple at the front; Jaehyun being the first to speak.

“Lee Taeyong, since the day that I met you, I knew you would become one of the most important people that I have in my life. Even though we had a rough start, I always knew you were the one. I knew it before that Thursday night in 1962 when I came to you after dealing with an emotionally wrecking situation. I knew it when you talked to me that night and allowed me to open up, something that I’ve never done with anyone in my life. After all of that, I was certain that it was you the entire time. Your heart is kind and you have a soul that cannot be matched. Your resilience is astounding and I thank every deity in this world that I can call you mine. Taeyong, I want nothing more than to have you as my husband for the rest of my extensive life.”

After Jaehyun spoke, the congregation of guests clapped and Mark even saw a few people wipe tears from their eyes. Once the commotion died down, his brother began to give his vows.

“Jung Jaehyun,” he began, smiling into the brief pause. “The day that I met you I was just a three-day old vampire who felt like he was on the verge of losing his mind. In those earlier moments of getting to know each other, I was so close to taking you outside and throw a couple of punches. But then I started to get to know you and with every interaction, I began to fall in love. Despite the rough times we had, you were always patient with me. You helped me recover from the heartbreak of losing everything I’ve ever known. You were with me every step of the way as I navigated this new life. I will never be content with anyone else, not when I have someone as loving, as courageous, and as thoughtful as you in my life. When I was young my mother always said ‘that when my moon rises, your sun rises as well’. When you are happy, I feel happy. When you saw that I was upset, you never carried on as if everything was okay. You helped me feel better. You are the sun to my moon, my sun and stars. I love you, and I want nothing more than to be your husband.”

As the ceremony continued with the lighting of the couple’s individual candles, Mark could feel the tears falling from his eyes. Not because of the vows themselves, as nice as they were, but mostly because of the quote that Taeyong said.

“When my moon rises, your sun rises as well.”

Their mother used to say that to them all the time since they were small children. It was one of her favorite sayings, a way for her to say “I love you and I will always be with you. What you feel, I feel and I am with you every step of the way.”

The couple brought their candles closer to the last one left in the holder and lit it together, signifying how their love for each other will continue to burn. They then exchanged rings and the officiate declared them as officially married. They shared a kiss and everyone erupted into cheers for the newlyweds. As they made their way down the aisle towards the house, people threw the pink and white rose petals in the air. It was truly a happy occasion, Mark stood up. He planned to sneak out undetected and was making his way to smooth gravel road that led to the house when a voice called out his name. It was all too familiar; deep, but nurturing. Despite his head telling him to keep walking, his heart won and the dark-haired male turned around to see his older brother with sadness in his eyes and his husband in tow. The taller of the two had a frown on his usually smiling face.

He knew he shouldn’t have come.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’ve tried to get in contact with you for God knows how long now and the day you finally show up you couldn’t even muster up the ability to speak to me.”

Taeyong and Mark were in the older man’s room. Jaehyun left the two here to talk while he went to entertain guest at the reception. Despite just how big the house was, the music could still be heard from the room they were in. Taeyong continued to look at his younger brother, a small crease formed in the middle of his brows and a frown on his small lips. Right now, Taeyong looked just like their mother when she’s upset and it only makes the guilt in Mark hurt more.

“Taeyong, look, I know I haven’t been around and I’m sorry. I should’ve told I was here and I’m sorry but you and I both know that I can’t stay here.”

Taeyong shook his head and began to walk towards his brother. He wanted to reach out to him but stopped. He opened his mouth to speak again but couldn’t find the words. The older brother closed his eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it once he felt he was ready.

“Mark, I know that you’re still upset. I miss our parents too, every single day that I’m alive I do. Every time I look in the mirror and see that I still look like a man in his twenties when I’m eighty-four years old, I think about that night and why I don’t age like I supposed to anymore. I think about all of the people we’ve grown up with and how they’re all probably dead or getting close to that age. I think about how they were able to continue living their lives and mine stopped. I think about how my heart beats so slow now that I am practically dead. I think about all of it but I am still going to live my life. I’m not going to continue living in the past knowing I can’t go back.”

Taeyong stopped his rant long enough to calm down before speaking again. “I want you to continue living Mark. I want you to be happy too.”

Mark finally looked up at his brother before moving back towards the door, shaking his head. He hated seeing Taeyong hurt by his constant avoidance but he also hated living with the fact that Taeyong will always remind him of his parents in some way. That he can see his mother’s face in his older brother or listen to Taeyong say the same boring jokes that their father used to say. It all hurt too much and he couldn’t take it anymore. He turned around and walked quickly to his escape, only stopping when his brother spoke again.

It’s been 60 years Mark. When are you going to stop running away?”

Taeyong looked deep into his younger brother’s eyes, pleading for him to stay and reconcile. To be a family again. Mark knew it was a mistake coming back to Seoul. He thought he’d be able to handle seeing his brother after all this time and at his wedding nonetheless. Being in the presence of his older brother only continued to remind Mark of their old life, of everything they left behind all those years ago. The happier times they shared before tragedy struck their family and subjected them to the eternal life of vampirism. He wanted nothing more than to leave it all behind again.

Mark looked away from his older brother, face hardening with a clenched jaw and furrowed brows.

“I can’t continue to live in this world as if I belong. As if me and you aren’t the same as those bloodthirsty killers that took our parents away from us now. I’ll keep running Taeyong, and I won’t stop until I find a reason to stay.”

Before Taeyong could say anything more, the younger Lee once again turned away to leave the large house he was never able to call home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah...tell me what you think.


	3. If that’s your choice, you’re responsible for the results

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Yukhei had to change his shirt. Again.”
> 
> “Again?” 
> 
> “Again. This is the third time it’s happened tonight.”
> 
> It was definitely going to be a long night

January 2019 - 7: 38 PM - Jung District, Seoul, South Korea

 

“Jeno, hurry up, we’re gonna be late!”

“It’s kind of hard to do that when you’re literally dragging me on the pavement!”

Na Jaemin wasn’t usually one to rush things. He liked to take him time and enjoy life, see everything in detail and just be. Usually he’d take his time leaving school to really soak in everything life had to offer him before arriving home.

However, today was not one of those days.

With his boyfriend in tow, Jaemin sprinted through the city, expertly avoiding all of the pedestrians and drivers on the streets of Seoul. Jeno wasn’t entirely sure how they haven’t crashed into anyone yet but as he ran behind the pink haired boy before him he heavily debated making a detour into oncoming traffic.

“Nana, sweetheart, I don’t think your mother would be too angry with us being a couple of minutes late. I mean, we’re still in our school uniforms for God’s sake!” All he wanted to do was take a shower and get properly dressed before attending yet another one of the galas that Jaemin’ s mother and the Jung family held. They usually weren’t this behind on time but after bailing Jisung and Chenle out of detention for yet another prank gone wrong set them back an excruciating two hours.

Jaemin let go of Jeno’s hand and suddenly turned at the corner of a small deli shop, running through the alleyway. He jumped over a chain fence, landing on the other side with ease. The younger boy didn’t even stop to see if his boyfriend was right behind him and yelled out to him in response.

“We don’t have time for that”, he exclaimed. “If you weren’t busy playing captain save a hoe for Chenle and Jisung, we wouldn’t have this issue!” He continued running through busy neighborhood until he ended up in front of the doors of a tall apartment building and immediately began putting in a code to open it. Once the sterling silver doors opened he ran down the hall towards the elevators of the building; Jeno finally catching up with him. The two boys got inside, out of breath from their long run. Jaemin pressed the button for the ninth floor and the two sat there quietly before Jeno finally spoke.

“I knew we should’ve taken the bus here”, he stated. He was still trying to catch his breath and took a mental note to add more cardio to his morning workouts. The elevator finally stopped at their floor and Jaemin quickly made his way to Jeno’s apartment, rolling his eyes at the raven haired boy.

“You literally run faster than the average human male your age and you have better stamina. Now, hand me your keys so we can actually get ready for this thing. I can already hear my mother complaining.” As they stepped inside, Jaemin was ranting and raving, imitating his mother’s voice and waving his hands around. Jeno stood at the door, looking incredulously at his boyfriend.

“We were literally supposed to be in Gangnam 45 minutes ago. No amount of speed and stamina were going to get us here in time.”

Jaemin turned around to face him, finally done with his exaggerated performance. His face softened upon seeing Jeno’s frustrated face and he couldn’t help but walk over and squish the older boys cheeks, a large smile stretching over his face.

“I’m sorry for making us run all the way here instead of taking the bus. How about I make it up to you? Ramen date tomorrow, on me.” He opened his eyes wider and tilted his head slightly, his smile now becoming a small pout. Jeno was indeed still upset (and tired) from all of the running but seeing Jaemin’s puppy dog face always won him over. He always swears that he won’t fall for it but he fails anyway.

“Alright, I’ll take you on your offer but you have to buy me an ice cream cone as well.”

The pink haired boy brought him in to a bone crushing hug and kissed all over his face. He let go of Jeno and immediately pushed him in the direction of his room to get ready. They had a long night ahead of them.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“It took you guys long enough, I was wondering if you had died or something.” Jaemin and Jeno had finally showed up to the large event hall, dressed immaculately in matching black suits. Jeno was preparing to explain their situation but Jaemin beat him to it.

“Well if you must know my dearest Injunnie, Jeno and I wanted to make sure we looked our best for the wonderful event that my mother orchestrated.” The pink haired boy smiled, arms stretched to his sides to emphasize his point. Jeno stood behind him, staring at the younger boy with a look of confusion before face palming at the obviously bad excuse his boyfriend gave. Renjun on the other hand was not impressed and the smaller boy crossed his arms before speaking again.

“You guys had to help Chenle and Jisung again didn’t you?” The duo nodded their heads and Renjun rolled his eyes before continuing to speak. “Well you didn’t really miss much. Mrs. Jung gave a speech about why the event was put on and what charity it’s benefitting. Hyuck’s mom just got back from Thailand so she’s here.” He turned around in the direction of the bathrooms before addressing his friends again and pointed in the general area behind him with his thumb. “Also, Yukhei had to change his shirt. Again.”

“Again?”

“Again. This is the third time it’s happened tonight.” The boy rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I would strangle him if I didn’t like him and willingly put up with him.” He gave a small smile when he was done speaking.

“I’m pretty sure you meant ‘I would strangle him if I didn’t love him’ but that’s neither here nor there.” Jaemin smirked at the older boy whose smile disappeared and was replaced with a scowl.  
“Shut up Nana, you know exactly what I meant.”

“Come on Injunnie, just say it.”

“Na Jaemin, I swear on entire Korean Peninsula I will not hesitate to…”

“What are we not hesitating to do?” A deep voice sounded from behind the trio and Renjun turned around the face his boyfriend, immediately flustering in his presence. His relationship with Yukhei was still young as they were nearing the seventh month mark. The older boy still managed to turn the usually collected Huang Renjun into a blushing, stuttering mess. It was honestly quite embarrassing for him to live through but entertaining for his small group of friends.

Jaemin smiled, amused at Renjun’s blushing face and looked to Yukhei before sweetly responding. “Oh nothing. Renjun was just talking about how he wouldn’t hesitate to come find you and tell you how much he wants to dance with you later on, right Injunnie?” He glanced at the smaller boy and smiled. Jeno giggled at the exchange, covering his mouth before he could erupt with full on laughter.

Renjun scowled at them before directing his attention back to boy standing before him. “Um, yeah he’s right, I uh, definitely want to dance or whatever…” He trailed off at the end of his sentence, running his hand across the back of his neck and almost cursing himself for how awkward he was being. The taller boy only smiled at him and took his hand, wrapping an arm around his waist and leading him to the dance floor.

“Well then, shall we dance,” he inquired, a hint of playfulness dancing in his big brown eyes. Renjun could only shake his head, giving a meek ‘I’ll see you later’ to his friends before being escorted to the dancefloor. When the two were out of earshot, the couple left behind burst into laughter. Jeno slapped Jaemin on his arm while the younger of the two bounced in place, trying his best to regain control of himself.

“Poor Renjun, he’s so whipped”, Jeno said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. Jaemin could only nod in agreement and wiped his own set of tears away. The two had finally regain composure before a high pitched voice called out to them.

“Na Jaemin! I have half a mind to pinch your ear, where have you been mister? You were supposed to be here hours ago! And Lee Jeno! Your mothers are looking for you as well!”  
The two boys slowly turned around to come face to face with Jaemin’s mother. She was a tiny woman that barely cleared 152 centimeters and had big, expressive brown eyes. Her long carnation pink hair was styled in an elaborate updo, decorated with small white fawn lilies. Her usually pale skin was a bright red, a sign that she was indeed pissed. She stood a little taller tonight, her heels giving her just enough height to look past the shoulders of the two boys. Her hands were on her hips, small creases forming on her blush colored dress.

Jaemin knew that he was in trouble and smiled meekly at his mother, trying his best to ‘cute’ his way out of the situation. The smaller of the three wasn’t having it.

It was definitely a long night tonight.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taeyong sipped gingerly at the blood in the wine glass before him. The conversation at hand was frustrating him and despite the attempts at elevating his mood, Jaehyun was also feeling a little tense. The dark haired vampire rubbed at his husbands’ back and continued to listen to the people in front of him.

“I tried everything I could to make them understand that the new sanctions they want to put into place will not solve the bigger issue at hand. Removing our kids from the schools? They haven’t done anything wrong! The next thing we know they’ll be taking away our careers and we will have nothing left. Heejin and Jieun are maybe the only two out of all of us that will still have jobs and even that’s not guaranteed.” The person that spoke was the concerned leader of a werewolf pack in Incheon. The man had a furrow in his dark eyebrows and a frown on his face.

Jaehyun made immediate eye contact with his mother, the matching looks of concern evident on their faces. Jung Jieun and Seo Heejin were very gifted, very prominent doctors in Seoul. They met in 1597; 200 years before before Jaehyun was born. They were inseparable and quickly became friends; they were so close that Jieun was there for the birth of Heejin’s son Johnny and the other did the same for Jaehyun’s birth. The two men grew up together and like their mothers unsurprisingly, became best friends. In their day, the two women fought tooth and nail for the ability to practice medicine and eventually earn their titles. Even though everyone at the table had an important role to play in the lives of supernatural beings across the country and on the global scale, Jaehyun understood how important his mother’s work was. She helped open the first hospital in Seoul dedicated to helping people like them and others who weren’t considered people in society. Mrs. Seo also worked with his mother in opening another hospital in Busan, eventually branching out from the borders of Korea to other countries across the globe.

The Jung and the Seo families spent years cultivating a positive relationship with supernaturals and humans. To hear that the positive work his mother cultivated could be destroyed upset Jaehyun. It hurt to know that despite all of the hard work, people were still afraid, the 1950s vampire attacks still in their minds.

The recent attacks in Seoul haven’t made the situation better for them and neither has the emergence of the werewolf population to the public. Despite being around for the same amount of time as the vampire population, werewolves were much better at keeping their existence a secret. Their closeness in a regular human being was also a contributing factor. When the Gulf War of the 90s transpired and people lost control of their wolf halves, their existence became known to people all over the world. Because of these events, the general public wanted the government to step in and do something about it. Many supernatural beings were treated unfairly, often losing jobs and homes, Korea being one of the hardest hit. It wasn’t until the National Council of Transcendentals was formed by Jaehyun’s father Yoonwoo and many of his colleagues that rights were given to them; soon after, other countries followed suit.

The sound of a throat being cleared was heard at the table and all attention was pointed to Jaehyun’s father. The older man looked to be in deep thought and he had his arms crossed in front of his chest. “I understand the concern that everyone has and I will work hard to make sure we don’t have to suffer from the possible implementation of the sanctions.” He stopped and looked around at the faces at the table before continuing. “However, we must also understand that we are not only protecting ourselves, but we are also protecting the existence of the fairy population. They are still hidden from the public. With help from our witch and mermaid populations, we are continuing to succeed. It is in the interest of us, our families, and our acquaintances throughout the country that we play this smart.”

The table remained quiet after the oldest Jung spoke. Some looked skeptical and others had worried expressions about the severity of the issue. The fairy population wasn’t a new discovery to them by any means, but they were the most vulnerable when it came to keeping them hidden from the global population. They were constantly subjected to the destruction of their homes due to deforestation and had to relocate often. They managed to blend in with with humans, their ability to use magic to hide their wings and change their size helping them. If people found out about them, only the higher powers that be would know what could happen. Jaehyun looked up from the table and spoke.

“What if we had new leaders get involved. Say, a younger vampire or witch or whoever”, he said. Everyone turned to look at the dark haired vampire, initial skepticism on their faces at his statement. A few began to agree with his proposal but Taeyong wasn’t having it.

“Jaehyun, as much as I want to support you, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He paused for brief moment before continuing. “Having a younger supernatural on the council isn’t the best idea. They aren’t ready to take on that kind of responsibility yet.”

Jaehyun was surprised at Taeyong’s quick disagreement. He had a feeling that his spouse would have reservations about the idea. However, he knew that Taeyong also liked to weigh out options and gather more information on something before coming to a final decision. To hear the other man’s quick dismissal of the proposed idea was a shock to him.

“Look I know it’s far fetched Tae but we don’t have many choices left, rather any time to come up with something better. I think this is a good opportunity to show people that the younger generation are going to be negatively affected by these sanctions. We’ll be giving them a voice on the matter and…”

Jaehyun was abruptly cut off by sound of glass shattering. He looked down to see bits and pieces of the wine glass fall from Taeyong’s hand. Taeyong’s sharp features became more prominent on his face as his anger increased. He turned towards his husband with fire in his eyes and venom on his tongue.

“As the leader of this council, I will not allow children to get involved with political affairs. I will not put them in danger for our sakes. We will find a way to work this out but this will not be the way to do it.” He turned to look at everyone at the table and addressed them. “Do I make myself clear?”

The group collectively nodded. No one wanted to be on Taeyong’s bad side and they figured that there would be further discussion on this matter at the Jungs’ home later on. For now, everyone quietly continued eating.

Jaehyun closed his eyes and blew out a large puff of air, breaking the silence. When he opened his eyes again he scanned the entire table before speaking.

“Does anyone else have an idea on how to move forward?”  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Agghhhh, this is so boring”, Jaemin stated. Everyone at the table either looked disinterested or close to passing out from sleepiness. Renjun was softly scratching at Yukhei’s head, the taller of the two resting it on the smaller boy’s shoulder and Jeno was tracing the design on the plates in front of them.

“Why don’t we just go somewhere else and do something? That ramen shop is a 20 minute walk from here if you guys are up for it.”

Yukhei immediately perked up at the mention of food. The “paint on a plate” they were given at the event wasn’t enough to feed the hunger pains in his stomach. Jeno paled even more at the thought of having to travel a long distance on foot once more since the fiasco from earlier. Jaemin wasn’t entirely sure about leaving the venue, especially after the verbal punishment his mother gave him. Renjun could see the conflicted look on the younger boy’s face before he spoke up again.

“We can just sneak out for a little bit, sit and eat quickly, and come back before your mom realizes you’re gone. What’s the worse that can happen?” Everyone was surprised at how adamant Renjun was being to get Jaemin to leave and possibly piss his mom off later on. They ended up accepting it because Renjun was a bit of a chaotic person and was always doing whatever he wanted, within reason of course. The group looked around at each other before finally deciding to ditch their seats and leave. They slipped out of the back and began their trek for food.

“I wish Donghyuck was here. He would’ve made things more interesting”, Jeno mused. The rest of the group murmured in agreement with his statement.

“He would’ve been here tonight but his flight was delayed. He said he should be in sometime this week.” Renjun kicked at a rock on the ground, thinking about how differently the night could’ve gone if their friend was here. They all took a shortcut through a park in the area, taking in how peaceful it was at nighttime.

Yukhei spoke up after silently listening to the conversation between the younger boys, attempting to lift up their spirits. “Maybe he’ll bring us back a souvenir from Paris. I’ve always wanted one of those Eiffel Tower snow globe things.” Renjun scoffed at the statement.

“Bold of you to assume Donghyuck didn’t spend all of his money on clothes and vinyl while he was gone. There is no way he’s coming back with something that isn’t a Balenciaga hoodie or a Michael Jackson album.”

The entire group started to laugh at how accurate Renjun’s prediction was and continued to guess what they believed the absent boy would bring back to Seoul. They were all one joke away from falling in hysterics when Jeno saw a figure stumbling out of the woods, putting the dark haired boy on alert. The group stopped in their tracks and prepared for the worst. Jeno could tell that whoever it was is a man. The thing that threw him off, was that this person didn’t smell entirely human at all.

Yukhei stepped up beside Jeno, readying himself to fight alongside the younger boy if need be. Jaemin also sensed the presence of another and stood beside his boyfriend. Renjun picked up on this and started to walk forward, lightly moving his hand in small circles. Sparks of yellow-orange light began to manifest in his movements.

“Who’s there”, Jeno called out to the figure.

The person sluggishly turned around and faced the group. He began walking slowly towards them. The man, who looked closer to being a boy, had shaggy jet black hair that fell into his deep red eyes. He looked like he had seen better days and it showed in how unnaturally pale his skin looked. Under his eyes were dark bags that indicated a severe lack of sleep. Jeno thought that the boy could be handsome if not for the fact that he looked like a junkie who didn’t get his eight hours a night.  
“Hey man, are you alright”, he asked, reaching out towards the boy.

The raven haired kid raised his hand before collapsing to the ground.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Do you think he’s alive?” This person had a deep voice.

“I mean, he’s still breathing so I would assume yes.” This was a different voice. This person had a very nice voice, despite the obviously laced sarcasm.

“Let’s poke him with a stick and see what happens.” This was another deep voice, even deeper than the first one.

The sound of a loud ‘smack’ was heard followed by a whiny ‘owwwww’. “Yukhei you can’t just poke some random guy with a stick, are you trying to get us killed?”

“Guys shut up, I think he’s waking up.”

Mark woke up with a heavy pounding in his head. If it weren’t for the fact that he wasn’t as susceptible to injury as a normal human being, he probably would’ve acquired a massive knot on the back of his head. As he raised up from the plush surface of what he could only assume was someone’s bed, he opened his eyes to see a group of boys that looked to be his age staring at him.

There was an incredibly handsome boy with pink hair and lightly tanned skin. He was latched onto a another equally handsome boy with hair the same color as Mark’s. The vampire figured that the two were a couple. He looked over to the other side of the bed and saw yet another attractive boy with just enough height to make Mark feel bad about the 175 centimeters he was sporting. Standing beside the giant guy was a boy even smaller than the rest of them. He looked like he was 50 kilograms soaking wet but had a nice shaped face and pretty brown eyes. In any other situation Mark probably would’ve awkwardly asked him on a date, save for the fact that the pretty boy had knife pointed in his direction.

A knife that was on fire. The knife was literally in flames and the boy was just holding it as if nothing was wrong.

“Don’t move a muscle or I’ll stab your eye out,” the tiny one said. Mark raised his eyebrow at him, looking back and forth from the knife to the boy holding it.

“Okay so let’s start by not pointing a flaming object in my direction.” He motioned towards the weapon before looking to Jeno. “Can you or anyone else in this room tell him to put that away?” Mark could see the flames growing brighter in the corner of his eye.

“Like now please,” he exclaimed, the panic in his voice rapidly increasing.

“Renjun, cut it out.”

The boy named Renjun looked back in Mark’s direction before scowling and put the knife away, all of the flames disappearing as he brought it closer to its sheath. The taller boy wrapped his arms around Renjun’s waist, quietly laughing at him before placing a kiss to the top of his head.

“So they’re together too”, Mark thought. He’d say that he was upset at the fact that the smaller boy was taken but immediately remembered that a knife was pointed in his direction not even two minutes ago and the feeling quickly disappeared. He rolled his eyes at the couple before attempting to get off the bed, only to fall straight to the floor.

“Yeah, no, you can’t go anywhere yet,” Pink Hair stated. He picked Mark up by his waist and gently placed him on the bed with ease. He gave the vampire a small smile before retreating back to his space beside the rest of his group. Mark could only sit there dumbfounded.

“The hell do you mean ‘you can’t go anywhere’? I have no reason to be here. Thank you for making sure I didn’t die or anything but it’s time for me to go.” He tried to sit up again but was hit with a wave a nausea that had him falling back down. The other boy with black hair began to speak.

“You’re too weak right now, it’s obvious you’ve gone days without blood in your system. We’re going to get you some help before allowing you to go.” His tone was serious and he had a look of concern on his face for Mark’s current state.

“Listen man, thanks for your help and everything but I will be fine,” Mark responded, trying his hand at a third attempt at getting out of the bed. The tallest boy that lightly pushed him on the shoulder, sending him back into the plush pillows on the bed. As the back and forth between them continued, Mark began to feel himself become more agitated and his fangs soon elongated in his mouth. He turned to the direction of the giant boy with red eyes shining in anger and a low growl escaping his mouth.

“Don’t even think about it”, Renjun stated, standing between Mark and his ridiculously tall boyfriend. He had the knife pointed at the vampire again. Mark was about to lunge in his direction when he felt the stabbing pain of hunger in his stomach and immediately fell back onto the bed. Renjun once again out his weapon way, smiling in satisfaction that the stubborn vampire couldn’t get out of bed.

“Well then. I will get in contact with with Mrs. Lee and Sicheng to help”, Jeno said, his deep voice breaking the silence in the room. He looked pointedly at Mark who was fighting a losing battle to stay conscious. “I would say that you need to stay in bed but I guess that won’t be needed.

When he finished speaking, the group began to file out of the space and Mark felt his mind sink further and further into unconsciousness again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here was my small introduction to (some) of the Dreamies + Yukhei. Donghyuck will finally make an appearance in the next chapter so stay tuned for that. :) Also, here is the link for the Tumblr dedicated to this fic: my-vampire-witch-fic.tumblr.com  
> I will try to update the blog as much as possible but school and life happens sometimes
> 
> See you in the next chapter! -CQ


	4. Yes, and you are?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don’t think for a second that I forgot you shoved a knife in my face. ” 
> 
> “And I didn’t forget you threatening to bite my boyfriend with your baby ass fangs four days ago but here we are.”

_ 17 December 1959 - 2:36 AM - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada  _

  
  


_ “Mark! Mark! Mark get up! I think something’s happening downstairs!”  _

 

_ Mark was jolted awake by Taeyong’s incessant shaking and frowned at his brother for disturbing his sleep. He grabbed his glasses and put them on to read the clock, contemplating the many ways he could kill him.  _

 

_ “Taeyong, what the hell? It’s almost three in the morning, can’t it wait?” The younger of the two was still rubbing at his eyes in an attempt to wake up. Before he could ask what the problem was, a loud bang came from downstairs. The brothers both turned to Mark’s door, frozen in their spots on the bed. Another crash sounded, followed by their mother’s scream. Taeyong shot up from Mark’s bed and bounded down the stairs, his brother following after. When they made it down, the sight that faced them horrified the two beyond belief.  _

 

_ Standing in the middle of their kitchen was a man with sickly pale skin and bright red eyes, holding their father in the air by his throat. Their mother was huddled in a corner, face streaked with tears as she watched the monster choke her husband. The man looked in the direction of the two boys and dropped the man to the ground.  _

 

_ “Tsk, tsk, old man. You lied to me.” He smiled menacingly as he walked closer to the two boys. He reached out to Taeyong’s face and ran his index finger down his cheek, making him shiver at how cold his touch was.  _

 

_ “I thought that wife of yours was pretty”, he said. The pale man looked from Taeyong to Mark, watching as the youngest Lee flinched at his stare. He glanced back at Taeyong before continuing to speak. “If you ask me, your sons are just as pretty.” He put his hand around Taeyong’s neck and forced him into the wall, hitting his head against the pale yellow paint. He leaned in and put his mouth against the older boy’s ear.  _

 

_ “I like it when my food is attractive. Just makes the experience much more enjoyable.” Before he could bite into Taeyong’s neck, the man was violently struck in the head with a baseball bat.  _

 

_ “Mark, Taeyong, take your mother and get the hell out of here”, their father exclaimed. The man stood up rubbed at his temple before smirking at him. He picked their father up and held him in the air again.   _

 

_ “You really shouldn’t have done that Thomas. Any last words before you go?”  _

 

_ Thomas Lee turned to look at his family, tears running down his cheeks. He barely managed to mouth the words ‘I love you’ before his throat was ripped open by the cold hands of the pale man.  _

 

_ Mark couldn’t hear anything but the sound of screaming. He felt someone grabbing him and pulling him in the opposite direction of his father. He didn’t register elbowing his brother in the face or kicking his mother’s thigh. All he knew was that he needed to help his father.  _

 

_ “Mom! Taeyong! Let me go, we need to save dad!” The raven-haired boy was yelling at the top of his lungs, desperately trying to fight against his brother’s hold in an attempt to run back to his father whose body laid unmoving on the black and white tile of their kitchen floor.  _

 

_ “Dad! Dad, please wake up!” Mark’s voice started to lose volume, the loud yells turning into weak whimpers of the same sentence. They ran towards the woods, Taeyong using all of his strength to drag his younger brother with him.   _

 

_ “Dad...please. Please wake up.” _

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_ January 2019 - 11:15 AM - Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea _

 

The sound of voices woke Mark up. He blinked his eyes before reaching out to the bedside table for his glasses and frowned when he came up empty. 

 

He always forgot that he didn’t need them anymore. 

 

Mark flopped back into the pillows and looked through the opening of the canopy. The ceiling was decorated with an intricate design of gold constellations, each one labeled with beautiful handwriting. He sat up, realizing that he wasn’t in the same room anymore. The bed was larger and had lavender satin sheets with a matching comforter, decorated with gold accents bordering the outside. Whoever lived here also had a wide variety of candles placed all over the room. The white walls were decorated in a series of Michael Jackson posters. Only one of them remained uncovered to display a mural of the sun and moon, both painted in gold. There was a white desk in the corner and a bookshelf on the wall beside it. A stack of books about astrology sat on the desk, along with a gold desk lamp, a vase filled with sunflowers, some notebooks and a station for office supplies. The bookshelf beside it had stacks of vinyl, a large collection of books, a couple of stuffed animals sitting on it, and record player placed neatly beside the vinyl. There were lavender curtains on the windows, opened just enough to let some sunlight in. The owner of the room even had a matching fluffy rug to accessorize the carpet. After looking around the room, Mark slid back down and snuggled under the soft blankets, closing his eyes when he heard the door open. He peaked out of the thick blanket to see a woman with shoulder length curly brown hair enter the room. Her soft brown eyes were welcoming and a warm smile graced her face. She had skin the color of caramel and honey, beautiful and warm, just like the thousand-watt smile she gave Mark when she saw the top of his head sneaking out of the comforter. 

 

“I’m glad to see that you’re awake. How are you feeling?” She came up to the bed and sat down near Mark’s feet, holding a black water bottle with a straw attached to it. Mark could tell that the woman was a little older but her bright smile and cheery voice made her seem twelve years younger. He saw a dotting of freckles on her cheeks and fell in love with them, not realizing he was staring until he noticed the woman waving her hand in front of his face. He blinked a few times before looking down at the design on the bedspread. If he were able to still noticeably blush, he would be fire engine red right now. 

 

“I’ve had better days honestly,” he replied, awkwardly laughing at himself and rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. 

 

She looked down at the cup in her hand before glancing at the boy in the bed, still smiling as brightly as when she first walked in. The curly haired woman reached a hand out to Mark signaling for him to shake it. He slowly took her smaller hand in his and shook it, handling it as if he were afraid to break it. She began to laugh at his actions, the sound of it twinkling like windchimes. 

 

“Don’t be afraid to shake my hand Mark. I can do more damage to you than you probably could to me.” She retracted her hand and continued to speak. “I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself when I came in. My name is Lee Dahee.” 

 

“Um, hi…”. He trailed off to look at her left hand before continuing. “Mrs. Lee. Uh, yeah, hi. I’m, uh Mark. But I guess you already knew that.” 

 

“ _ Way to go dumbass” _ , he thought to himself. __

 

She laughed at his horrible attempt at introducing himself before handing him the water bottle. “Yes, well the only reason I do is because Renjun and the other boys took it upon themselves to look through your jacket. Something about ‘making sure you weren’t some psycho trying to kill us’. Anyway, you don’t have to call me Mrs. Lee. Dahee will work just fine.” He took the bottle looking between her and the container confusedly.

 

“Blood”, she explained. “It’s not human blood by any means but hopefully animal blood works all the same. I mixed it with African Violet, Apple spice, and cinnamon. I also heated it up a little bit. All of the ingredients are homegrown, courtesy of my friend Sicheng.” 

 

He raised his eyebrows at her, wondering if the concoction that she made for him was safe. She sensed his apprehension at drinking it and began to break it down for him.

 

“The African Violet, apple spice, and cinnamon are all used to help heal someone and protect them. I even gave it a little positive energy to help boost your mood.” 

 

Mark still wasn't buying it but he was afraid of upsetting the woman. He brought the straw to his mouth and began to sip the drink. He closed his eyes in relief as he felt the warm blood coursing through his body. Mark had to admit, the drink actually wasn’t that bad. He started drinking more of it, not stopping until the straw was making noise from the air being sucked through it. When he was finished, he looked up at her shyly, embarrassed by how loudly he was drinking his blood. 

 

“Look at you! You’re starting to look ‘vampire pale’ and not ‘death pale’ again! Was the drink okay for you?” 

 

He wanted to tell her that being a vampire meant that he was essentially dead and therefore already ‘death pale’ but overlooked the statement.

 

“It was good. It was really, really good.” He was starting to feel a little better; still tired but much better. 

 

She motioned for him to give her the bottle and stood up from the bed. “I’m glad to hear that Mark. I’ll go and make you another helping. Why don’t you stay up here to take a shower and come downstairs when you are ready?” As Dahee was nearing the door, Mark cleared his throat and she turned around. 

 

“I uh, I don’t have a change of clothes”, he said pitifully. 

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry! Hold on just a sec.” She put the bottle on the bedside table and went over to the series of white dressers and opened up random drawers. She pulled out a pair of sweatpants, a large white t-shirt, a pair of socks, and an unopened pack of underwear. She handed the clothes to Mark and pointed to the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom. 

 

“Here are some of my son’s clothes. His legs are pretty long but the pants should fit just fine. He has so many he won’t even miss it. There are toiletries in the closet beside the sink. You’ll find towels and washcloths in there as well.” She picked up the water bottle again and opened the door. “Just yell if you need anything okay?” 

 

“Will do”, he said and watched as she closed the door. 

 

The vampire stretched his arms before flipping the covers over and getting out the bed. He did another series of stretches before taking his newly acquired outfit and walked into the bathroom. Dahee made it seem like it was just a modest little wash area but it was so much more than what Mark was expecting. Like the bedroom, the bathroom was decorated in a series of white, gold, and violet. There was a clawfoot bathtub on one side and on the other was a shower with a glass door. Beside the tub and shower were violet bath mats decorated with gold trim. Against the wall was a small white bench. In a basket near the bench were various bottles of lotion, body butter, body scrubs, nail polish, and other spa items. 

 

“Who the hell has this much lotion”, Mark inquired out loud, picking up a bottle of Mango-Orange scented lotion. He popped open the cap to smell the fragrance and decided that it smelled too good to  _ not  _ use. His skin doesn’t dry out anymore but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t going to lather it in fruity lotion. 

 

Mark walked over to the spacious shower and turned on the water. He tested the heat and pressure before undressing and stepping in, slowly getting lost in his thoughts as the water rained down on him. 

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“You know what would go great with this bulgogi?” 

 

“What?”

 

“Snake meat.”

 

Jeno put his index finger on his chin and tapped it a couple of times, thinking about Yukhei’s suggestion for the (admittedly already delicious) lunch that Donghyuck’s mom prepared. After deciding that yes, Yukhei’s idea was pure genius, the black haired boy raised his hand and high fived the taller boy across the table. 

 

“Wow Yukhei, your mind”, he said, moving his hands away from his ears to signify how mindblown he was. The two boys were further discussing other food combinations when Renjun kicked his boyfriend’s chair. 

 

“Xuxi, that is fucking disgusting. Why would you even suggest that?” He put his chopsticks in the bowl, feeling nauseated at the thought of Yukhei and Jeno’s weird eating habits. Jaemin looked equally disgusted, scooting his seat away from his boyfriend. 

 

“Look, that is a quality part of a young wolf’s appetite. Every werewolf is given some once they turn for the first time. It’s excellent,” Jeno said defending his diet. He then stood up from his chair and pointed at Jaemin. “And you’re half-wolf, I don’t want to hear it,” he declared. 

 

Jaemin rolled his eyes before standing up to take his empty bowl to the sink. “Jeno, I know I’m half wolf but I’ve literally never transformed a day in my life. I have more of my mom’s genes than my dad’s, you show know this.” Jeno was about to argue further with the pink haired boy about why snake meat was delicious when the sound of someone coming down the stairs distracted the group. Mark walked into the dining area, freshly showered and clothed. 

 

“Wow, he finally showered after 3000 years,” Renjun said, looking the boy up and down. 

 

Mark glared at him. “Don’t think for a second that I forgot you shoved a knife in my face.” 

“And I didn’t forget you threatening to bite my boyfriend with your baby ass fangs four days ago but here we are.” 

 

Mark looked surprised at the smaller boy’s statement. “Was I really asleep for four days?” He looked at everyone at the table for confirmation. Yukhei finally replied to his question.

 

“Yeah man, you were out like a light. After you passed out we decided to relocate you here was the best thing to do.” Jeno nodded in agreement. 

 

“Both of my moms and dad wouldn’t be too happy with me letting some random stranger sleep in our apartment, let alone a vampire who hasn’t sunk his teeth into anything for a while.” Mark raised his eyebrows at the boy’s statement. 

 

“You have three parents?” There were a lot of things he was getting used to in this day and age. From realizing that guys and girls were his jam, to the hot mess of the early 2000s, he’s been pretty on par with everything. Everything except technology. He thought it changed too much for him to comprehend it. Hearing that people had more than two parents was new and astounding to him. However, Jeno didn’t take Mark’s question well and answered with a slight touch of hostility in his voice. 

 

“Yeah, I have three parents. What about it?” He crossed his arms and continued to frown at the older male from across the room. Thankfully for Mark, Dahee walked into the dining area just in time. 

“Alright, you two.” She walked over to Mark to hand him the drink from earlier and noticed that the woman was taller than he expected. She had to be at least Renjun’s height. “Jaemin sweetie can you help me with the dishes.” She turned back to Jeno and pointed at him. “You sir can help dry them.” The two boys followed her into the kitchen, Jeno grumbling along the way. 

 

“He’s so damn emo, I swear,” Renjun said, getting up from his seat. He walked towards the living area, Yukhei following close behind him. Mark was still awkwardly standing in the corner of the dining room when Renjun called out to him. 

 

“Hey Markles, you coming in here or not?” 

 

Mark internally cursed Renjun. Markles, what kind of bullshit nickname was that?

 

When he entered the living room, the couple was sitting on one of the couches whispering to each other. Mark sat on a reclining chair in the corner and pulled his legs up to his chest, resting his chin on his knees and closing his eyes. He didn’t realize he was being watched until he glanced up and saw Renjun and Yukhei staring at him. 

 

“You okay over there,” the smaller boy asked, a small hint of worry in his voice. 

 

Mark blinked at him before answering with a half-hearted, “Yeah, I’m fine.” There was a knock on the front door before Renjun could ask him any more questions. The person outside knocked again before Jaemin came running through the living room towards the door. He excitedly opened it before his face dropped in a frown and he turned away. 

 

“It’s just Chenle and Jisung guys, no Donghyuck there.” Mark looked over to see two boys. The shorter one had an adorable face and fluffy blonde hair, reminding Mark paintings of angels at his church back home. The equally adorable taller one had toffee-colored hair and stood protectively beside the blonde haired boy. 

 

“We’re here to welcome Hyuck home too loser.” The pink haired boy turned his nose up in the air, crossing his arms and giving a small ‘hmph’ at Chenle’s remark. Come on Jaeminnie, you know you love us,” the shorter one said smiling. Jaemin looked over at Chenle attempting to look upset, quickly giving up the facade and walked over to pull the two into a big hug. Jeno and Dahee came just in time to see the small group hug. 

 

“Chenle! Jisung! It’s so good to see you!” Dahee skipped over to join the group hug. When they all pulled away she smiled brightly and walked them over to one of the couches in the living room, asking them about anything and everything that has happened in their lives since the last time she saw them. 

 

“Chenle, how is your mom? It’s ages since I last talked to her.” 

 

“She’s doing well. She’s been making trips throughout the Pacific, you know how busy she can get with kingdom stuff.”

 

Mark really wanted to follow the conversation but the only person he could put a name to was Renjun. He figured that if he was going to be sleeping in a bunch of strangers’ houses and talking to them, he probably should learn everyone’s name and make nice with the group.  

 

“Uh, hey guys? Sorry to interrupt but I still have no idea who most of you are.”  

 

“Really? I thought you would’ve learned all of that by now”, Jaemin said. 

 

“Well, I’ve been asleep for four days so that’s kind of hard to do.” 

 

“Understandable”, Jaemin said pointing to himself to begin the introductions. “So to start off, my name is Jaemin but people sometimes call me Nana because of my last name and I’m half-fairy, half-werewolf.” Mark raised his eyebrows at Jaemin, opening his mouth to ask a question when Jaemin raised his hand to stop him from talking. 

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it sounds weird but werewolf and fairy relationships are more common than you think. And before you ask me how that works, fairies can change their size and as far as I know, I’m just the only result of such a relationship.” The pink haired boy looked down with a sad look in his eyes before quickly recovering from it. “Anyway, I guess I can give you a fun fact about myself. Jaemin isn’t actually my real name. We have to blend in with humans because they still don’t know that fairies exist so we adopt human names and stuff for appearances. I like Jaemin a lot more than my fairy name so that’s what I want everyone to call me.”

 

“What’s your fairy name,” Mark asked.

 

“We don’t talk about it and we never will.” The vampire nodded his head and didn’t press the matter any further. Jaemin looked over to Jeno and the older boy began to introduce himself. 

 

“My name is Lee Jeno and I am a werewolf. One of my mothers is the leader of the pack here in Seoul.” 

 

“What is this, an AA meeting”, Renjun interrupted, snickering at Jeno’s awkward introduction.

 

“Shut up you vertically challenged demon. “Anyways, before I was rudely interrupted, Jeno said, pointedly looking at Renjun. “An interesting fact about myself...well I don’t know, I used to be a child actor.” 

 

“Really now? What did you act in?” 

 

Jeno started to blush before answering Mark’s question. “I uh, was in some advertisements for a brand of milk for werewolves.” 

 

Chenle started laughing at Jeno, startling Mark. The blonde pointed at Jeno and yelled “Do the thing! do the thing!” Jeno pulled his shirt over his face before he popped back up and started smiling. He pretended to drink milk before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Once he was done he hid behind the couch that he and Jaemin were standing at. 

 

Mark learned that Renjun and Dahee were both witches, Renjun being a chaos magick witch that worked with fire and made special paintings to protect areas where people are the most vulnerable in areas all over Seoul. Dahee was a divination witch and the High Priestess of a coven in the area. Her husband and children were also witches. Like Jeno, Yukhei was a werewolf. He came from a pack in Hong Kong and joined Jeno’s after deciding to stay in Seoul. Chenle was half mermaid and half human, fitting considering Mark thought the boy sounded like a dolphin when he laughed. His mother is the current queen of the Pacific and his father is a wealthy businessman in China. Chenle also talked about his older brother Kun and how he was to be the next in line for the Pacific throne. Jisung surprisingly was a regular human who decided to hang out with the ragtag group. His dad was a Transcendental Rights activist and worked with Dahee and several others for the cause. After being caught up who everyone was, Mark excused himself from the group to retreat back to the room he slept in. 

 

“So Mark, you wanna tell us about yourself”, Jisung asked, stopping the vampire in his tracks. Everyone looked at him expectantly and he became nervous under their gazes. 

 

“I uh, well obviously I’m a vampire.” He emphasized this point by raising his water bottle full of blood. “I was born in 1939 in Canada and I have an older brother.” 

 

“You have a brother,” Jaemin asked. “Who is he? Is he still alive? Does he have the same interesting nose that you have?” 

 

There was no way in hell Mark was going to talk about his relationship with Taeyong which was strained at best. And he took great offense to Jaemin’s comment about his nose so that was a double no. 

 

“I uh, really don’t want to talk about it”, he finally answered. He started walking a little closer to the dining room when Renjun spoke. 

 

“How did you end up becoming a vampire?” 

 

Mark tensed at the question before turning around and looking at the small boy with a mix of anger and sadness in his eyes. 

 

“There are two things I don’t talk about.” He raised his hand and counted off the reasons. “One, I don’t talk about my family. And two, I don’t ever want to talk about why I became a bloodsucking demon.” 

 

“Mark, you’re not a demon. Don’t say that about yourself,” Dahee said. Before she could continue with her statement, the front door suddenly opened and two people walked in. 

 

“Hey losers, I’m home,” a girl yelled as she came into the door. She about Dahee’s height though she looked closer to Chenle and Jisung’s age. She had long, straight, brown hair, tan skin like the older woman, and a button nose. Overall, she was a charming girl. The next person that walked in made Mark’s almost nonexistent heartbeat stop. 

 

The next person to walk in was a boy talking on the phone. He had copper colored hair that complemented the rich color of his tan skin. There was a constellation of moles on his face and a cute nose that turned up just a little at the end. The boy was about Mark’s height, maybe a little shorter, with legs that went on for days. 

 

Jesus Christ his legs. If Mark wasn’t going to hell when he eventually dies, he was about to now. The thing about the boy was that, while he didn’t look that much different from his sister and mother, the way he carried himself walking in that door just added to how attractive he was to the vampire. Mark was broken out of his temporary daze by a high pitched voice. 

 

“Hey mom, who’s the hot guy?” The girl was the one to speak up. Mark awkwardly started playing with the straw on his water bottle. He noticed that she started smirking at him when he did this. 

“Jia, control yourself”, Dahee said, rolling her eyes. 

 

“Look, I’m just pointing out the obvious. There’s a hot guy standing in our living room. Come on Duckie help me out here”, Jia whined, shaking her older brother. It was only then that he paid any attention to Mark. He looked at him in surprise and his face quickly turned into anger. 

 

“Why the hell is this guy wearing my clothes?” 

 

So much for Dahee’s son not noticing. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Lee Donghyuck wasn’t usually one to get supremely angry. He was always the sassy, fun-loving, mood maker of the group. He never failed to entertain others and lift their spirits. But after the horrendous flight back from Paris, seeing some random stranger wearing HIS clothes and learning that said stranger also slept in HIS bed, he was seriously close to stabbing someone in the eye with his pendulum. 

 

“Mom, why are we letting Dracula live in our house? Jeno and everyone else brought him here, they need to take him back.” He pouted at his mother from across the bed as they were changing his sheets. 

 

“Duckie, you kicked them all out of the house.”

 

“They can still come back and get him!”

 

“Donghyuck, Mark has clearly been through a lot. He has nowhere else to go. And before you say that he needs to stay with Jeno”, she said, raising her hand to stop him ranting. “He can’t. I already talked to Hyori and she’s adamant about not letting him stay there. Besides, they don’t have any room in the apartment for him.”  

 

“Mom, we don’t even know anything about him. What if he’s like one of those psychopaths that are going around killing everyone?”

 

“Donghyuck, calm down you’re being overdramatic. And don’t make assumptions about people, your father and I raised you better than that.”

 

“Ok, well what about moving him in with Nana?”

 

“You know that he isn’t able to go into fairy grounds without explicit permission from Seohyun.”

 

“Renjun and Yukhei?” 

 

“I highly doubt that Mark wants to stay with a couple Hyuck.”

 

“Jisung? Chenle?”

 

“Lee Donghyuck, for the last time we are not kicking him out.” Dahee closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I understand that you’re upset and I am sorry for letting Mark sleep in your room and wear your clothes. However, he will still be living with us under this roof for as long as he needs. All I ask is that you please respect him and try to be nice to him. He’s a very sweet boy Duckie, you just have to get to know him.”

 

The boy crossed his arms and frowned at his mother. “There is nothing nice or sweet about some guy that I don’t even know in my room.” To know that someone intruded his space, especially someone he didn’t know or trust, was upsetting for him. 

 

The older woman sighed and walked over to hug her son. He tried his best to squirm out of her grasp but his mother was stronger than most people and attempting to extract himself from one of her hugs was futile. Giving up, he eventually hugged her back and settled into her embrace. 

 

“I missed you while I was gone.” 

 

“I missed you too my sunshine.” 

 

“I’ll try to be nice to this Mark guy or whatever.” 

 

“See, I knew you’d turn around eventu-”

 

“Can’t make any promises though.” 

 

“Really Donghyuck?”

 

He let her go and looked down at her. “Seriously mom, no promises. You said to accept the fact that he’ll be living here, that’s about as good as it’ll get. He’s lucky I didn’t put a hex on him.” Dahee rolled her eyes at the boy before making her way to the door. 

 

“I’m just saying, you should give him a chance.” 

 

“Once again mother, no promises.” He raised his eyebrows and threw his hands out to emphasize his point. 

 

“You never know, you might end up liking him. He’s very endearing and”, she paused, turning to smile at him. “He’s exactly your type.”

 

“Oh my God, we are not having this conversation. Mom, my type doesn’t entail some random dude off the street who hasn’t heard of a haircut and a razor. Jia thinks he’s hot, pass him off to her.”

 

“Jia is 16 Donghyuck, she thinks every boy is  ‘hot’ and Mark is in his twenties so that’s a no go. Luckily for you, you’ll be taking him to get a haircut and some new clothes tomorrow.” 

 

“Yeah, he was probably in his twenties in the 1800s but not now. And what do you mean ‘take him to get a haircut and new clothes’?” 

 

Dahee opened the door and began to step out, not bothering to turn around as she replied with a sassy “You heard what I said” before closing the door behind her. 

 

Donghyuck ran to the door, opening it up to yell at his mother’s retreating figure. “Did you even tell dad that we were letting him stay here?”

 

She raised her hand beside her head, waving it back and forth. “I already talked to him Hyuck,” she replied as she walked down the stairs. 

 

The boy rolled his eyes and groaned, closing the door and making his way to the bathroom. After the long flight and the events of today, he felt like a nice, hot shower was in order. He sat on the bench and began to remove his shoes and socks when he noticed that one of his bottles of lotion was considerably emptier than he left it. 

 

“Are you fucking kidding me, he used my lotion too?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Donghyuck has finally arrived and Dream antics will only go up from here. The next chapter will be a little more serious and we're going to go back to seeing things from Taeyong's POV. Questions/comments/concerns are greatly appreciated!-CQ


	5. Like Rain, I Continue to Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There's no time limit on grief Tae."

_ May 1939 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada _

  
  


_ “Mommy! Mommy! Is it time for the baby to come yet?” Taeyong laid his small head onto his mother’s swollen belly, rubbing his tiny hand across to see if the baby would kick it. Ever since he heard the news that he would become a big brother, he anxiously waited for his little brother or sister to be born into the world. Minjee only laughed and patted her son’s head, smoothing down the unruly black hair.  _

 

_ “The baby isn’t quite ready to come just yet my baby bird. We have to wait a few more months before you can officially be a brother.” Taeyong lifted his head from her stomach, staring at her with his big brown eyes.  _

 

_ “Why is the baby taking so long? How long is a month?” His large eyes widened even more in anticipation for her answer. He began to bounce up and down, accidentally stepping on his mother’s swollen feet.  _

 

_ “Be patient Taeyong, I will answer all of your questions. Just please don’t step on mommy’s feet.” She raised an eyebrow at him and he stopped bouncing, folding his hands at the top of her belly. “The baby takes a long time to come because they have to grow and growing takes a while.”  _

 

_ Did I take a long time to grow?”  _

 

_ She smiled softly at him and began to rub his head again. “You did take a long time to grow. The day you were born was the happiest day of my life.” She pulled her hand back to lightly boop his nose and watched with joy as Taeyong giggled. “Now, as far as how long a month lasts depends on what month it is. Some months have thirty-one days and others have thirty. There’s even a month with twenty-eight days, sometimes twenty-nine during a leap year.”  _

 

_ “What’s a leap year?”  _

 

_ “I think that would be too hard for me to explain to you right now. I’ll tell you when you’re a little bit older.” Taeyong nodded to himself, satisfied with the answers she provided him. He began to bite his bottom lip and Minjee soon became concerned.  _

 

_ “What’s wrong my little bird? Why do you look so sad?” She lifted his head by his chin so he would look into her eyes.  _

 

_ “Do you think my other papa loved me?”  _

 

_ The woman let in a sharp breath and wrapped her arms around Taeyong, holding him as close to her body as she physically could.  _

 

_ “Your father loved you more than you will ever know and he still loves you now.” She lifted back up and the boy could see tears forming in her eyes. She sniffled a little but managed to give her son a smile. _

 

_ “Do you think he’ll watch over the baby as he watches over me?”  _

 

_ “Without a doubt Taeyong. He will without a doubt.”   _

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Taeyong lived for the moments in life where he could be alone. He was curled up on a futon in Jaehyun’s office, flipping through a photo album filled with pictures from his old life. Jieun managed to go back to the little blue house the Lees lived in and recovered the pictures, eventually putting them neatly into a photo album for Taeyong to keep. It served as yet another reminder at how open and kind his mother-in-law had been since she found Taeyong and Mark. If it weren’t for her, both of the brothers would’ve been dead. 

 

The pink-haired man continued to flip through until he came across an old photo of him and Mark at the beach. Taeyong had just turned five and Mark was well on his way to reaching his first birthday. Taeyong was sitting cross-legged in the sand, trying his best to hold a crying Mark in his lap to take the photo. The vampire smiled sadly and lightly grazed his fingers over the picture. 

 

“Where did you run off to Minhyung”, he sighed. The sound of a car in the driveway pulled Taeyong out of his thoughts and he smiled to himself when the front door opened. 

 

“Three...two...one…”

 

“I thought I’d find you here”, Jaehyun said as he walked into the office. He sauntered over to the futon and bent down to place a kiss on Taeyong’s forehead. “What are you up to?”

 

“Just looking at some old family photos.” He smiled fondly at the beach photos from long ago. 

 

“You miss them don’t you?” Taeyong nodded his head. 

 

“Every single day of my life. I always think about how different everything would be if they were still here.” The pink-haired vampire looked up at his husband and reached out to push back the hair falling in his eyes. Jaehyun leaned into the touch and kissed the palm of his hand. 

 

“Do you regret staying with us?” 

 

Taeyong put the photo album down on an end table and placed both of his hands on Jaehyun’s cheeks, rubbing his thumbs over the soft skin. “Never. I have no regrets about staying with you. I love you and I love this family. It’s just…”

 

Taeyong trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. He lowered his hands and looked away from his husband. 

 

“You just wish they were here to be a part of it too.” The dark-haired man pulled his husband off of the futon and put his arms around his waist, bringing him into a close hug. Taeyong held onto Jaehyun as they stood there comforting one another. 

 

“Thank you for always being there. I know I should be over it by now but, it’s just hard to forget you know?” 

 

Jaehyun pulled away and looked into Taeyong’s eyes. “There’s no time limit on grief Tae. It’s okay to mourn what you’ve lost. The important thing is that you’re continuing to live your life and taking it day by day. Your parents would be beyond proud of you.” He rubbed his cheek with his thumb and smiled softly. 

 

“You think so?”

 

“I know so”, Jaehyun said confidently. “I also know you seem to have enjoyed your time off.” The taller gestured to the stacks of books and the heavy quilt littering the space Taeyong sat at. The pink-haired vampire bit his lip in embarrassment. 

 

“I’ve had a lot of reading to catch up on.”

 

“Yeah, I can see that. I’m glad you’re enjoying it too because today will be the last day you can.”

 

Taeyong furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean ‘the last day’? I thought we had a week?” 

 

Jaehyun pulled at his ear and looked everywhere in the room but his husband. “Yeah, about that…” He took in a large gulp of air and squeezed his eyes shut.

 

“I scheduled for another conference in England and we have to leave tomorrow morning.” Jaehyun peeked one eye open and saw the furious look on his husband’s face. 

 

“Tomorrow? Do we have to go to England tomorrow? Jaehyun, we haven’t even had the chance to spend time together. You’ve been working ever since our break started!” Taeyong started to move towards the man. 

 

Jaehyun put his hands out in front of him to stop his husband from killing him. “Sweetie, look, I know you’re probably pissed about this but there have been changes to Transcendental sanctions in the UK that could potentially affect us here and it’s better to discuss them with other representatives now than later.” 

 

“Jaehyun, we already have to meet with Korean officials in two weeks.” Taeyong flopped back onto the futon, staring up at the ceiling. Jaehyun sat down and laid his head on his husband’s chest. 

 

“I know, I know and I’m sorry for not telling you earlier. We just have a lot of duties to fulfill.” Taeyong sighed and carded his long fingers through Jaehyun’s hair. 

 

“I often wish I didn’t have to be the leader of NCT. I’d have more time to read and paint and raise chickens…”

 

“Raise chickens”, Jaehyun inquired. He lifted his head up and quizzically stared at his husband. 

 

“Yeah, when I was younger I had a pet chicken named Jiji. Mark used to chase her around our yard when we were kids; I thought I told you this?” 

 

Jaehyun shrugged before laying back down. “Eh, I guess I wasn’t paying attention at the time.” Taeyong rolled his eyes and lightly swatted at his back. 

 

“I’m still mad about having to leave tomorrow.”

 

“I know and I swear, I’ll make it up to you.” He leaned up and began to place kisses on Taeyong’s neck. He placed his hand on Taeyong’s leg and wrapped it around his waist.

 

“I don’t think we have enough time for sex. We haven’t had time for months.” 

 

“We would’ve had time on our wedding night. Or during our honeymoon.” 

 

“I wasn’t in the mood to.”

 

Jaehyun nipped at the other man’s jaw lightly, smiling to himself when he heard his breath hitch. 

 

“You weren’t in the mood because you were worried about Mark.” 

 

“Please don’t talk about my little brother while you’re putting hickies on my neck.” Taeyong lightly pushed against Jaehyun, signaling for him to get off. The taller man didn’t budge and continued to kiss and bite his skin. 

 

“Jaehyun, we can’t. I need to go start packing for tomorrow”, Taeyong whined. 

 

“Tae, it’s barely past noon, you have plenty of time to pack.” Jaehyun moved up to his mouth and gave light pecks that gradually turned into deeper kisses. Taeyong gave in and started to kiss him back. 

 

“I swear Jung Yoonoh, you’ll be the cause of my death”, he said in between breaths. 

 

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

 

“It isn’t but are we really going to sit here and have midday sex? What are we, forty?” 

 

Jaehyun leaned up and looked into Taeyong’s pupil blown eyes. He was starting to develop dark purple and blue marks on his pale skin. 

 

“Babe, I’m almost 223 years old and you’re 84. I don’t think the green light age for midday sex matters anymore.”

 

“You have a point but I still think it’s lame.”

 

“Would you stop complaining if I let you top?” 

 

Taeyong’s large eyes widened at his husband’s statement. “Wait, are you being serious?”

 

“More serious than a silver bullet to the heart.” Jaehyun stood up and began to strip until he was naked. He walked out of the office and Taeyong could hear him going up the stairs. 

 

“I’ll be in our room whenever you’re ready”, the dark-haired man called out. 

 

Taeyong smiled and immediately got up and left the office, sprinting up the stairs to join his lover in bed. 

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

_ February 2019 - 1:00 PM - The French School of Seoul - Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea _

 

Donghyuck walked into the hustle and bustle of the cafeteria with a large smile on his face. As much as he loved his stay in Paris, he was ready to be back at school. His love for the classroom always puzzled his peers and teachers. Donghyuck could admit that he was a bit of a class clown and a smart ass to his elders, but he took his education very seriously. Outside of his admiration for school, he had no choice but to get the absolute most out of it.

Ever since the Higher Education Ban was introduced in the Transcendental Sanctions eleven years ago, supernatural students were unable to attend colleges and universities with human populations. A new system had to be put in place for Transcendentals who graduated after their third year in secondary school. These students were given an extra year at their institution to specialize in a trade as part of higher learning. Donghyuck was eight-years-old during the law’s passing but didn’t really understand how much it would affect him until now. 

 

He continued to walk through the throng of students until he reached the usual table he sat at with his friends. Jaemin and Renjun were already there quietly eating. The closer Donghyuck got, the more he noticed the melancholic looks on his friend’s faces. 

 

“Hey guys, why so sad?” He sat down and opened his lunch bag, pulling out the kimchi his mother put in there that morning. 

 

“Didn’t you hear about what happened last night? Down in Gwangjin”, Renjun asked. He was sipping on a glass of banana milk, intently stirring the straw of his drink. 

 

“No, I didn’t see anything about Gwangjin on the news. What happened?” 

 

Jaemin tugged on the collar of his white undershirt. His grey school blazer hung haphazardly on the back of his seat. Jaemin had a bowl of fruit in front of him but the food looked like it was untouched. He looked at Donghyuck from across the table. 

 

“A family of six were killed in their home last night. People are linking it to the vampire attacks.” 

 

Donghyuck stopped eating his food and stared at the boy. He looked over at Renjun who was still nursing on his banana milk. 

 

“Another human family was attacked? That’s the third one this week.” Jaemin shook his head at the witch. 

 

“Not human. Werewolf.” 

 

Donghyuck’s mouth opened in shock. Different species of Transcendentals weren’t always buddy-buddy but they also never attacked each other. To hear something like this was a surprise for Donghyuck. 

 

“Another supernatural attacked a werewolf family? Who the hell would do something like that?” He suddenly felt too sick to continue eating his food. After finishing his drink, Renjun finally spoke up. 

 

“We don’t have an idea of who would. All we know is Jeno’s mom is pissed and both him and Yukhei are shook up about the situation. Apparently, Jeno used to babysit one of the kids.” 

 

Donghyuck reached up and rubbed the silver pentagram on his necklace, making a mental note to cast an encouragement spell for Jeno later on that night. “Is he okay?”

 

“I hope so. He decided to stay home today and rest.” Jaemin twisted the emerald ring on his left hand around his finger, clearly missing the person that gave it to him. It was Jaemin’s nervous habit to play with his promise ring. 

 

Donghyuck reached across the table and took his hand. “He’s gonna be alright Jaem. Jeno is a strong person, he wouldn’t want you worrying about him.” Jaemin nodded in response, accepting Donghyuck’s words. The boys moved on to another topic and continued to talk amongst themselves when a group of students walked over. 

 

“Hey Jaemin, you wanna come out for a quick game of basketball?” A boy with black hair was carrying the orange ball in his hand. Behind him stood three other boys and two girls. Jaemin looked up at the boy and shook his head. 

 

“Um, not really guys. I’m just gonna stay over here with Donghyuck and Renjun.” One of the girls scoffed at his answer. 

 

“Jaemin, when are you going to stop hanging out with these freaks? You know that humans stick with humans and we stay away from these, these monsters.” She gestured to Donghyuck and Renjun with disgust in her voice. 

 

“Hejin, these guys are my friends. Don’t say that about them. They aren’t freaks and honestly the only monster here right now is you”, Jaemin retorted, the volume in his deep voice increasing. 

 

It was always like this at school. Because humans didn’t know about the existence of fairies, Jaemin had to pretend to be one for appearance sake. It was frustrating for the boy to pretend to be something he was not. He hated having to constantly re-dye his natural pink hair every other day and he hated having to leave his friends behind during class. The thing he despised the most was having to hide his relationship with Jeno, playing it off as them being really close friends. It wasn’t a life he wanted to continue to live but he didn’t want to be the cause of a huge political uproar either. 

 

“Jaemin it’s okay, we can handle it”, Donghyuck said, glaring at the group of students in front of them. He didn’t want Jaemin to feel guilty for not having to live the life Donghyuck and Renjun were living. He didn’t have to walk around in public wearing a necklace signifying what he was. He didn’t have to wear a red uniform to school because of his status. Donghyuck was glad that Jaemin was able to peacefully navigate his years in school, even if it meant the others would get hurt in some way. 

 

“Listen, Donghyuck, what goes on between us..”, Hejin pointed at herself and Jaemin. “Is none of your business. Why don’t you go and conjure up a disappearing spell?” She smirked in his direction before turning her attention back to Jaemin. “Well? Are you going to join us or not?” 

 

Jaemin looked back at his friends who nodded. He slowly got up from his seat and collected his things, walking away with the group, turning around to mouth “I’m sorry” to the two boys at the table.

 

“I swear I can’t stand being here anymore”, Renjun said. The boy was a firecracker and Donghyuck was surprised that he was able to keep his cool in the situation that just transpired. 

 

“I can’t believe you managed to listen to that entire conversation without putting a hex on her.” 

 

“Xuxi’s been helping me with my ‘explosive temper’”, he said putting his hands up in the air, making air quotes. “I’m trying to not react to uncomfortable situations with so much emotion. Is it really working?” 

 

Donghyuck nodded and slapped his hand down on the smaller boy’s shoulder. “Yeah, I’d say it’s working. Good job.” He lightly tapped Renjun on the shoulder, flinching and laughing when he threatened to hit him. 

 

“How are things going for you at home since your mom adopted Markles?” 

 

Donghyuck rolled his eyes and dropped his head onto the table, groaning at the mention of Mark. 

 

“It’s going well I guess. He’s actually not as bad as I originally thought. My mother obviously adores him, Jia won’t stop talking about how hot he is, and my dad finally met him.” Renjun raised his eyebrows at the mention of Donghyuck’s father. 

 

“Wow, how’d that go?” 

 

“He likes him too. Said something about ‘finally having a respectful kid around the house’ or whatever. Dad just wanted someone around who didn’t make noise and luckily for him, Mark is about as interesting as stale bread.” 

 

“Is he really not that fun”, Renjun asked. 

 

“He’s worse than Jeno,” Donghyuck whined, putting his head into his hands.

 

The only thing Renjun could say to that was “yikes”. 

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

_ Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea _

 

As a child, Mark always loved watching the rainfall. Years later, his love for it didn't change. He sat outside on the railing of a balcony, letting the precipitation fall onto his legs. He missed being able to feel the cold rain from this time of year. He missed the feeling of being cold. Now that he was a vampire, his entire body was a popsicle and anything like it, he couldn’t feel at all. Mark began to softly hum to himself and took notice of the sound of a fluttering heartbeat coming towards him. 

 

“Hi Jia”, he said nonchalantly. He smiled when he heard the sound of the young girl cursing before he felt the weight on the railing shift beside him. 

 

“I wasn’t even making any noise; how did you know I was coming”, she exclaimed. She had her back to the rain and stuffed her hands into the pocket of her too-big hoodie. Her usually straight hair was tied up into a knot on her head. Based on the smell, Mark figured it was due for another wash but he wasn’t going to say anything to the girl concerning the matter. 

 

“Magic vampire powers”, he responded as he finally regarded the young witch. He laughed at her when she rolled her eyes at his response. 

 

“I’m starting to think that Duckie was right about you being lame. ‘Magic vampire powers’? Really? My dad might be rubbing off on you Mark.” 

 

“I think your dad is a pretty cool guy.” Jia scoffed at him. 

 

“Your age is showing Mark my dude.” 

 

“Hey, I am not that old!” Mark may have been chronologically 80-years-old but that didn’t mean he was ancient. The vampire always got defensive about his age, especially when Jia always brought it up. 

 

“Well yeah, you don’t look old but…” 

 

“But?”

 

“You act like you are sometimes. I want to give you a free pass since you grew up in the 40s and 50s but dude, even my grandma can work a cell phone better than you. And she’s younger than you!” 

 

“I’m just really bad with technology okay!” Jia snickered at Mark’s outburst. 

 

“I’m just teasing you, Mark.” She paused to look over his face. “If only you could blush; that would’ve been a sight to see.” Mark pensively glanced at his hand and furrowed his brows. 

 

“I can’t even remember the last time I actually blushed. I can barely remember what color my skin was before I turned into a walking piece of chalk.” He looked up and smiled at Jia’s confused face.

 

“I wasn’t always pale you know.” 

 

“I mean, I figured you weren’t paper white but like…”. She trailed off, trying to figure out how to word the rest of her sentence. 

 

“I wasn’t tan like you but I did have some color to me. And you could easily tell when I was embarrassed about something.” 

 

“I honestly think people can do that without you blushing.” Jia smirked at the vampire and narrowed her eyes. “Especially when you’re talking to Duckie.” Mark directed his attention to the string lights wrapped around one of the rails. 

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

 

“Yes, you do. We can all tell that you have a thing for my brother. It’s ok Mark, he’s very much single and is in desperate need of a date.”

 

“Jia, I think your brother is a very handsome person but I really shouldn’t be asking him for a date or anything li-”

 

“Why not”, she interrupted. “Mom and I are all for it. We’ve been shipping you two together since day one.” 

 

“Shipping? What the hell is ‘shipping’?” Mark couldn’t keep up with all of the new slang that people were creating every other day. You don’t really have time for the internet when you’re trying to keep a low profile.

 

“I can explain that to you later. Right now, I need you to focus on going out with Donghyuck.” 

 

“Why are you trying to set me up with your brother”, Mark asked exasperatedly.

 

“Because Duckie secretly thinks you’re cute and you’re already whipped for him despite the fact that he very pointedly calls you a ‘no fun, dead guy’ and ‘the Canadian dude with baby pubes on his face’ on a day to day basis”. 

 

“Look, I shave every night. There’s only so much I can do.” 

 

“Well, no one said you  _ had _ to do that now did they?” Jia crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at Mark’s frowning face. The sound of the front door slamming could be heard and Mark listened as a honey-laced voice filled the house.

 

“Jia, are you home?” The girl in question cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled in the direction of the house. 

 

“Yeah, I’m on the balcony Duckie!” 

 

“How is he going to hear you from out here”, Mark asked.

 

“The door’s been open the whole time genius.” Mark turned around and saw that sure enough, the door was open. He was also graced with the beauty that was Lee Donghyuck as the younger boy walked up to the door. 

 

“Oh, hi Mark”, Donghyuck said in surprise. 

 

“Um, hey Donghyuck”, he responded awkwardly. The vampire sat there staring at the other boy until Jia rolled her eyes at the unseasonable interaction. 

 

“Wow, you are worse than I thought”, she muttered before regarded her older brother. “To what does my name require you speak it?” 

 

“Do you have some jade I can borrow? I need to do an encouragement spell tonight.” 

 

“Sure, it’s in the pink box on top of my dresser.” She tilted her head to the side. “What do you need some encouragement for?” Donghyuck sighed. 

 

“It’s not for me. It’s for Jeno. You know, after what happened?”

 

“Oh, yeah”, she said in understanding. “He’s going to need a lot of it. Good luck with the spell.” 

  
  


“Will do”, the boy responded before closing the door and retreating back inside. Mark listened to make sure Donghyuck was heading up the stairs before he turned to Jia. 

 

“Is this about the attack on the werewolf family?” Mark has been listening to conversations surrounding the topic all day. Dahee and a woman that Mark assumed to be Jeno’s mother spent hours talking about it and making funeral arrangements. He also heard them mention his brother and decided to discontinue eavesdropping in their conversation. He’s heard the whispers about Taeyong being a huge deal but he didn’t think the woman housing him would know who he is. 

 

“Yeah, everyone’s freaking out about it. The leader of the National Council for Transcendentals, Lee Taeyong, has to make a statement about it before he leaves for the UK tomorrow morning.” Mark was surprised to hear his brother’s name but continued on without letting it be known

 

“This Taeyong guy sounds like a big deal.” 

 

“Oh, he is. He and his husband Jaehyun have been working hard with Transcendentals and government officials all over the world to gain rights and promote peace. I’ve met him once; he’s a nice guy.” 

 

“He seems like it with everything he’s been doing”, Mark answered flatly. Jia stood up from the balcony and stretched.

 

“You should meet him one day. I think you’d like him”, she said as she made her way to the sliding door. 

 

“Nah, I’m not that big on meeting people.” She raised her eyebrow at him and shrugged before opening the door to go inside. 

 

“You really have been hanging out with my dad too much.” She closed the door and Mark concentrated on listening to her footsteps as she went up the stairs to her bedroom. He looked back out to the grassy backyard that led to the woods; not too much unlike his old home. 

 

“Mom and dad would be so proud of you Tae”, he whispered into the air. 

 

The rain continued to fall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -It's been like 23298432953295849 days since I updated so...tada  
> -that's mostly because I'm trying to flesh this story out more since it's more complicated than the other fic I'm working on (shameless promotion of my work commences)  
> -Mark and Hyuck will be interacting in more than just passing conversations  
> -There will be more flashbacks to Taeyong and Mark's earlier lives  
> -and yes, they will reunite at some point  
> -more supernatural political stuff because why not?  
> -I will also be drawing on history to create a foundation for the world behind the politics in this fic (separation of humans and transcendentals, supernatural students being unable to attend college, students having to wear different uniforms/signifying jewelry, etc.) and I hope that is shown here.  
> -Jia and Mark's big bro/little sis relationship is too precious to me and I want it to be something people can resonate with/enjoy  
> -there's just going to be a lot more happening in the upcoming chapters so stay tuned


	6. Locked Inside My Veins, You're In My Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark and Donghyuck dancing around their little crushes as per usual

_ 18 December 1959 - 5:27 AM - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada  _

 

_ The soft crunch of snow under Jieun’s feet gave her a sense of peace in the otherwise quiet of the forest. The clean, early morning air was just what she needed before she packed her family up to head home to Korea. She continued walking through the brush and tangle of vegetation, and only stopped when she heard a faint thumping. It was something more...alive. She stood still and tried to block out any other sounds.  _

 

_ Waves rustling off the coast.  _

 

_ The heavy crunching of elk hooves in the snow.   _

 

_ Soft, weak breaths.  _

 

_ And the sound of a heartbeat.  _

 

_ She didn’t know when she began to run. When the air blew her hat off of her head and made her hair billow as she sped through the forest. The woman jumped over fallen trees and skipped over rocks, hurrying towards the sound.  _

 

_ And then she smelled blood. So, so, so much blood. The smell continued to get stronger, threatening to take over her senses.  _

 

_ It was a good thing she’s had years of practice.  _

 

_ Jieun reached the edge of a cliff and noticed a piece of torn white fabric on the ground, spots of blood staining the cloth. She looked past that and noticed the substance leading down the steep slope, only ending with two bodies below. Two young men, surprisingly still alive, but barely fighting for their lives, broken at the bottom of the cliff.  _

 

_ Jieun has seen many things in her long life as a doctor. She’s become accustomed to death, to pain. It came with the territory of saving lives. This, however, was something she’d never seen before and didn’t think was possible for anyone to pull through. All she knew was that she had to save these boys.  _

 

_ She’d do everything in her power to make sure they stayed alive.  _

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, Mark, are you busy right now?” The vampire looked up from the book he was reading to see Dahee’s smiling face peering at him in his doorway. He quickly became accustomed to her randomly entering his room, finding that she had quite a few habits and characteristics not unlike his mother’s. While it was annoying to her children, Mark found it to be comforting. 

 

“I’m not really doing much. Is there anything you need?” The woman walked in and sat down at the foot of his bed and placed a stack of papers near his feet. 

 

“Since you’ve been living with us for a while now, I figured it was time that you went and got registered at one of the government offices. I’ll even have Donghyuck drive you there to get everything sorted out.” 

 

Mark, being the independent person he was, wasn’t too keen on the whole “registering under the Transcendental Index” thing. It was always an unfair system; forcing supernatural beings to wear clothes or jewelry that identified who they were in society. The identity pendants were as follows: 

 

  1. Vampires: Blood Drop Pendant (Red for Pureblood Vampires, White for Convert Vampires)
  2. Witches: Emerald Pentagram Pendant
  3. Werewolves: Silver Wolf Paw Pendant
  4. Mermaids: Gold Seashell Pendant



 

Under the Index, Transcendental students had to wear red uniforms to school as a way to keep them separated from the human students. When a child born to supernatural parents (or a human was turned into a vampire), they had to be officially registered with the government of their home country under the Transcendental Index, created solely to keep them in line. Mark thought it was an inhumane, unjust system that took away the autonomy of millions. 

 

Dahee looked down at the papers, taking in the detailed questions that filled the forms. She could tell Mark was hesitant to sign them; it was essentially like signing your life away and becoming a target. 

 

“I know you probably wouldn’t want to fill them out right now. It took me at least eight months after Duckie was born to have him registered and even longer for Jia. It’s horrible but, it’s something was have to do.” She stood up from her spot on his bed, contemplating her next choice of words. “You don’t have to rush anything Mark. I can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. Just let me know what you decide okay?” Mark nodded at her response and gave her a small smile. 

“I will. Thank you for letting me know.” The brown-haired woman grinned in his direction. 

 

“You are a part of this family now Mark. If there is anything you need, you have all of us there to help you.” Mark watched her retreating figure as she closed the door behind her. He flopped back onto the pillows and stared at his ceiling, wondering if his older brother had to go through the same process. He knew at this point that the Lee family were friends of (or at the very least familiar with) Taeyong’s. 

 

He thought about what Dahee said about him being a part of her family, about how it only took weeks for him to become an integral part of their lives. He felt like an imposter, especially considering that he was the missing brother of Taeyong. The more he learned about how close they were with his estranged sibling, the more he wanted to hightail it out of that house. The only reason why he hasn’t yet is because of the fear of guilt associated with possibly disappearing from their lives. Mark knew that one day he was going to have to fess up and tell them exactly who he was. 

 

Mark got out of his bed and walked out of the room to the dining area. Space was currently occupied by the other residents of the house. Jia and Donghyuck were eating large bowls of sticky rice while Mr. Lee was busy mixing God knows what together in a cauldron. Six pairs of eyes looked up when the two walked in the dining room, effectively creeping Mark out. 

 

It was another one of those things he became accustomed to. 

“Sup Mark”, Jia exclaimed around a mouthful of rice. Donghyuck thumped her in the head and a resounding “ouch” followed his actions. 

 

“Jia, chew with your mouth closed you disgusting brat”, her older brother stated as he glared at her. She scrunched her nose up and stuck her tongue out, bits of rice still clinging to the surface. Even Mark had to admit that was a little gross and he does some pretty gross things. 

 

“Make me”, she taunted as she stuck her tongue out again. Mark saw the color rise in Donghyuck’s cheeks, watching as the boy moved his hand in a pulling motion and sent her to the ceiling. The girl was stuck there, trying her best to move her limbs as she struggled against her older brother’s powers. A large gust of wind began to blow in the dining room and Mark knew that another one of Donghyuck and Jia’s brawls were due. 

 

“Daaaaaad, tell Hyuck to put me down”, she screeched. Donghyuck continued to glare up at his little sister.

“I’m not stopping until you quit being disgusting!” Mr. Lee ran his hand down his face and sighed loudly. 

 

“How about the both of you quit or I’m stripping you of your powers for a week. Donghyuck put your sister down. Jia, stop the wind now. It’s too cold outside for you to do that indoors.” The siblings did as they were told, grumbling under their breaths. 

 

“Why can’t the two of you be polite and behave like Mark”, he said, gesturing to the black-haired vampire. Mark shifted awkwardly at the backhanded praise from the man. Donghyuck scoffed.

 

“The reason why Mark hasn’t done anything is because he’s no fun.” Jia nodded her head in agreement as she continued to loudly chew her food. 

 

“I have to agree with Hyuck on this one. Mark, you’re a nice dude but you still act like an old man instead of the 20-year-old you are.” Mark frowned at her statement. 

 

“I’m literally 80 and I grew up in the 1940s and 50s Jia. What else did you expect?” The young witch shrugged her shoulders. 

 

“I don’t know but if you want to have any chance of dating my brother you’re going to have to be more interesting dude”, she responded over a mouthful of rice. Donghyuck choked on what he had in his mouth and Mark looked like he wanted to legitimately die. Mr. Lee looked up from his cauldron to frown at Mark. 

 

“You want to do what now?” Donghyuck waved his arms from side to side in the “time out” motion. 

 

“Okay, Dad, don’t listen to anything Jia says.” He stared the younger girl down and pointed a finger in her direction. “You little brat, no one is trying to date anyone in this house.” 

 

“Oh yeah? Then why did I hear you talk to Jaemin on the phone last night about how cute and kissable you think Mark is?” She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a shit eating grin. The tanned boy looked at Mark and blushed furiously. 

 

Mark and Donghyuck have very awkward interactions for people who live in the same house. They’ve talked some, mostly pointless conversation, but Donghyuck would sometimes tell Mark about bits and pieces of himself. They were small things like how his zodiac sign determined his elemental power. Or how his favorite colors were purple and sunflower yellow. To anyone else, it might’ve been forgettable but Mark stored that information in the small part of his brain dedicated to the beautiful boy. Despite the limited interactions, there was one thing they definitely noticed and it was the unmistakable attraction they had towards each other. Mark might be old, but he isn’t stupid. He’s aware of the lingering eye contact they make sometimes, how he sees Donghyuck stare at him longer than most people would normally do. 

 

The vampire also knows that Donghyuck isn’t as aloof as he wants to portray himself as. He can see that he’s a kind, caring individual based on his interactions with his family and friends. He’s seen some of the grades from tests that Donghyuck leaves around; obviously, he was incredibly smart as well. The only person he hasn’t really extended those sides of himself to was Mark. The younger boy wasn’t exactly rude to the vampire and he acknowledged that Mark was a good person; they just weren’t the best of buddies or anything. It was okay though; Mark would continue to wait patiently for Donghyuck to open up to him. 

 

“Trust me, dad, I have zero intentions of ever dating Mark. Like, absolutely none”, Donghyuck said. He was pointedly avoiding eye contact with the vampire but couldn’t hide how hard his heart was beating. He knew Mark could hear his heartbeat; could see his eyes dart quickly from his father to the very attractive man on the other side of the room. 

 

“Well, Mark is a nice boy. I don’t see why it would be a problem.” Donghyuck whirled around so fast that he thought he would trip over his own feet. 

 

“I’m sorry, but WHAT”, he exclaimed in disbelief. The older man shrugged at him. “Mark is a nice young man. With manners. I think you’d be great together Duckie.” Mr. Lee grabbed a ladle and scooped out a generous amount of the purple mystery concoction and poured it into a cup. Donghyuck continued to stare at his father in confusion and wondered if the simulation that was his life actually stopped working. 

 

“Now, who wants to try the new hair potion I’ve been working on?”

 

🌞🌚🌞🌚

 

“And then he was all like ‘Oh yeah, you’d be great together’. I was so close to disappearing out of my house Junnie.” Donghyuck flopped down onto his bed, feeling the weight of his body push the mattress in. He opened his eyes to look at the beautifully painted constellations on his ceiling, paying close attention to Leo. 

 

“ _ I honestly don’t think it’s that big of a deal Hyuck. You don’t have to ask Mark out if you don’t want to. You guys barely know each other outside of ‘what’s your favorite food’ anyway _ ”, Renjun said from the other end of the line. “ _ I don’t know man if it’s bothering you that much then try getting to know him more. You’re a boss ass witch Hyuck, don’t let Mark’s cute face stop you from being the badass you are. _ ” 

 

The older boy did have a point. Donghyuck didn’t exactly go out of his way to try to interact with Mark. Part of that was because he didn’t exactly trust having a random guy living in his home and the other part was out of sheer nervousness. He was known for being an outgoing and charismatic person. There was no way he should let someone as harmless and chill as Mark make him feel like a blushy schoolgirl. 

 

“ _ Uhhhh Hyuck, are you still there _ ?” 

“Yeah, I am.” He continued to focus on the shiny gold paint of Leo. “I’ll take what you said into consideration and get back to you on that.” Donghyuck smiled to himself when Renjun sighed deeply into the phone. 

 

“ _ You say that now but you’re either going to royally fuck something up or you will just disregard everything I said _ .” 

 

“Wow, you know me so well don’t you?” A knock sounded at the door and Donghyuck shot up in surprise. 

 

“Hey Renjun, I’m gonna have to call you back later.” He didn’t wait to hear his friend say goodbye as he ended the call. The witch got up to open the door and was surprised to see Mark on the other side. The vampire looked like he just showered; his bangs fell wet over his forehead and he smelled like the lavender and honey body wash his mom bought a few days ago. 

 

“Hey, did I catch you at a bad time”, he asked as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. 

 

“No, I was just getting off the phone anyway.” Donghyuck paused to look up and down at Mark, unconsciously biting his lip in the process. “Is there anything you need?” The vampire shifted the weight of his body from side to side. 

 

“I was wondering if you wanted to like, hang out or something. Just as friends! It doesn’t have to be a date or anything…”.  Since he’s met him, Donghyuck had never seen Mark look so nervous and took pity on him. The witch gave him a small smile. 

 

“If sweating was still possible for you you’d be drenched by now.” Donghyuck figured that now was a better time than never to actually listen to Renjun’s advice. “I’m down to hang out.” Mark stopped moving and looked at the younger boy in shock. 

 

“Wait, really?” Mark watched the mop of copper-colored hair bounce as Donghyuck nodded his head. 

 

“Yeah, why not? If you’re going to become a permanent fixture in our lives I might as well get to know you.”  Mark would’ve been lying if he said his stomach didn’t feel like butterflies were fluttering around in it. 

 

“Alright. Ok. Awesome. That’s, that’s great then. Ummm…”

 

“Ummm?” 

 

“When are you free”, he asked, sticking his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. He knew that he couldn’t sweat anymore but it was a habit that he never seemed to get over, even after all of these years. Donghyuck tapped his chin with his index finger, humming to himself as if he was in deep thought.

 

“How about I let you know”, he finally answered. Mark walked backward in the endearingly nervous fashion Donghyuck was used to seeing him with.

 

“Sure, sure. Take all the time you need. Goodnight Hyuck.” He waved bye to Donghyuck and sped walked in the direction of the stairs. Donghyuck closed the door to his room and leaned against it, heart fluttering at the fact that Mark simply called him ‘Hyuck’ and thanking every deity for Huang Renjun and his superior advice. 

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

A young woman was walking home from a late shift that night. She figured that skipping a ride on the bus was fine for just tonight. The moon was full and the stars were bright, a rare occurrence in the big city. The woman wasn’t prepared to make this night her last. 

 

No one was around to hear her muffled screams as she was dragged into an alley nearby. No one was around to witness the fear in her eyes as she fought against her attacker, crying as the strange man’s nail dug deep into her neck. 

 

She was alone when she took her last breath. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This is probably one of the shortest chapters I've written since the prologue  
> -Taeyong will be back in the next chapter and Jaehyun knows some things he doesn't know  
> -Jia is probably one of my favorite OCs like wow I love that kid  
> \- '00 line, Yukhei, and Chensung will return in the next chapter  
> -more politics and stuff will come up and things are gonna get complicated for some of our boys  
> -some real Markhyuck interactions  
> -More flashbacks for our brothers because angst


	7. What We Take and Leave Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn’t need his past and whatever hang-ups he had to take precedent of his current situation

_ 22 December 1959 - 9:18 PM - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada _

  
  


_ Mark jolted awake, desperately gasping for air. He rubbed his eyes to get rid of the haze before blinking, taking in his surroundings.  _

 

_ This had to be someone’s bedroom. The walls were lined with an array of books. There was a desk on the other side of the room, a globe, radio, and many other bits and pieces that showed someone inhabited this space.  The bed he was laid was plush and felt much softer than a bed normally should.  _

 

_ The other thing he noticed was that his brother was missing.  _

 

_ Mark reached up to toy with his glasses but came up blank, realizing that they weren’t on his face. He looked into a mirror on the other side of the room and screamed.  _

 

_ His eyes were a crimson red and he had fangs, legitimately sharp fangs protruding from his mouth. His skin was ghostly white and he looked like he hasn’t seen sleep in years. He jumped off of the bed to get a closer look at himself but ended up crashing into the mirror.  _

 

_ Mark thought he was going insane. There was no way, in heaven or on Earth, he should’ve crashed into something that far away from the bed.  _

 

_ “Taeyong! Taeyong! Where are you; I need you! Something’s wrong with me”, he cried out. The more he yelled, the more his throat started to feel dry. It was almost as if it was closing on him and the pain of agonizing hunger took over his body. He bent over, coughing and breathing heavily before the door to the bedroom was thrust open.  _

 

_ “I told you we should’ve left them where they were at Jieun”, an older man said in Korean. He had thick eyebrows that were furrowed in frustration and anger. _

 

_ “I wasn’t going to leave them there to die”, a woman, presumably Jieun screamed.  _

 

_ The woman rushed over to Mark’s side and turned him over. She had big, brown eyes and long black hair. Her gaze seemed to pierce Mark’s soul and grew uncomfortable with how the woman was looking at him.  _

 

_ “First things first, can you understand what I’m saying right now?” She smiled a little when Mark nodded his head.  _

 

_ “Sweetheart, do you know who you are,” she asked.  _

 

_ “My name...my name is M-Mark.”  _

 

_ “Mark, my name is Jieun. I’m a doctor and I’m going to help you okay?” _

 

_ “I...please...where is my brother?” _

 

_ Jieun looked up at the man standing in the bedroom and began to bark out orders.  _

 

_ “Get a bag of O, filled a syringe with the sleeping potion, a tourniquet, and the enchanted rope.”  _

 

_ The man grimaced but nodded and rushed out of the door to retrieve the requested items. Mark continued coughing, trying to relieve the tightness building in his throat.  _

 

_ “Mark, sweetheart, what I need for you to do is stop breathing okay?” She held his head up and sat it on her lap, running her hands through his black hair.  _

 

_ “W-why..”  _

 

_ “I know it sounds crazy but I need you to do it before you kill yourself.”  _

 

_ Mark nodded and held his breath. He was expecting a dizzying feeling to accompany him but nothing came. He sat perfectly still, no longer thrashing about.  _

 

_ “There you go, just sit tight and everything will be alright.” She continued brushing his hair with her hand and began to hum softly.  _

 

_ “I have everything except the rope”, the man from earlier said as he rushed back into the room. He sat beside Jieun, laying everything out on the ground.  _

 

_ “Shit. Where is Yoonoh?”  _

 

_ “He’s in the living room with the other boy.”  _

 

_ “Tell him to get up here now.”  _

 

_ “The other boy? Are you talking about my brother? Where is he?” _

 

_ “Mark, I need you to calm down…” _

 

_ “Where the hell is my brother”, he yelled before wrenching himself from the woman’s grasp. He ran out of the room and was hit by several different smells all at once.  _

 

_ “Taeyong! Taeyong, where are you?” _

 

_ He followed the sound of voices downstairs and was met by the older man and someone who looked like a younger version of him. A son perhaps. They were standing over Taeyong’s still body, which laid on a couch. _

 

_ “Who the hell are you and why do you have us here?” _

 

_ The younger man looked up at Mark with a blank expression. His eyes narrowed and he began stalking towards Mark.  _

 

_ “You’re not allowed to ask questions. Not when you’ve caused us enough trouble”, he said, voice deep and laced with anger. He grabbed Mark by the arm and walked him to one of the couches,  throwing him there.  _

 

_ “Sit still so my mother can help you.” _

 

_ “Your mother? She doesn’t even look old enough to be your mom.”  _

 

_ The man didn’t respond. Instead, he walked behind the couch and held Mark by his shoulders. Mark tried to remove himself from the tight grasp but came up short. The guy was impressively and alarmingly strong.  _

 

_ “Yoonoh, be gentle with him”, Jieun said as she swiftly came down the stairs. She ripped open a bag and held it to Mark’s lips.  _

 

_ “What is that”, he asked panicked.  _

 

_ “Blood”, she responded before opening his mouth. She quickly removed her hands before he could bite down again and sighed in relief when Mark’s instincts kicked in and he started to drink. It didn’t take him long before he spat the bag out, blood dripping down his mouth onto the front of his shirt.  _

 

_ “Are you people insane?” _

 

_ “Shut up”, the son, Yoonoh, responded.  _

 

_ Jieun took a rubber band strip and tied it around Mark’s arm. She held a syringe in her hand, gesturing for her son to hold Mark tighter when he began to squirm.  _

 

_ “This will only put you back to sleep Mark. We will explain everything once your brother is awake and you have a clear head.” She flicked the needle to get the air bubbles out before inserting it into Mark’s arm.  _

 

_ His vision started getting hazy and the room seemed to spin. The last thing he saw before passing out was the concerned look on the woman’s face.  _

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_ Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea _

 

“You are not going on a date with my brother wearing that”, Jia said as she disdainfully pointed at Mark’s shirt. 

 

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

 

“Everything! You’re supposed to look put together and sexy. You just look like every dudebro in the Korean Peninsula.” 

 

“I highly doubt Hyuck will care.”

 

“Trust me. He cares more than he lets on.”

 

“She has a point Markles. Donghyuck does like for his men to look neat at least 20 percent of the time”, Renjun said from the couch. 

 

“That’s a pretty low percentage.”

 

“That’s because he’s it tailoring to you”, Chenle responded from the floor. He didn’t look up at Mark, continuing to put an array of bracelets together with Jisung. 

 

“What are those for?”

 

“These...are for the wolf pack kids”, Renjun said, picking up one of the finished bracelets. “Me and a few other witches will be charming them with a protection spell. After what happened with that one family…”

 

“We want to make sure that the younger generations will be okay”, Chenle finished. 

 

The vampire attacks have become more gruesome around the world, and ever since the attack on the werewolf family in Gwangjin and all eyes were on the South Korean government to do something about it. Mark won’t lie and say that he hasn’t felt the weight of people’s stares on him, both human and Transcendental. His pendant gives his classification away and there wasn’t much he could do about the consequences that come with it. 

 

“Mark, are you ready to go”, Donghyuck yelled as he came down the stairs. 

 

“He’s as ready as he’ll ever be, big brother”, Jia replied for Mark, rolling her eyes at his awestruck expression upon seeing her older brother.

 

“Please go on your date. This face he keeps making is driving me insane.”

 

“It’s not a date you brat, we’re just hanging out”, Hyuck said, fishing for his car keys in a bowl on the coffee table. 

 

“That’s what you want us to believe.” Jia giggled as Donghyuck dragged Mark out the front door, grumbling under his breath about making little siblings disappear. 

 

“Be safe! Don’t stay out too late,”  she exclaimed as the door shut behind them. 

 

“How long do you think it’s going to take Mark to admit that he actually like Hyuck”, Yukhei asked, threading yarn through some beads. 

 

“I say next week”, Chenle answered. Jisung nodded in agreement.

 

“I say two days from now,'' Jia said. 

 

“Make that by the end of the night and I’ll buy everyone hot pot.” Everyone looked at Renjun with wide eyes.

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Seriously.” 

 

“Well Mr. Huang Renjun, you’ve just made yourself a bet.” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 2019 -  _ 10:30 AM - London, England  _

 

“I swear, if I have to sit through another long-ass meeting I will raise hell. Why do Jaehyun’s parents schedule this shit so early in the morning? Not all of us can run off of 30 minutes of sleep per night.” Taeyong only nodded in silence as Ten continued to rant about the schedule for the meetings. He was used to listening to the younger man complain about having to be involved with the administrative part of supernatural politics and had no desire to wake up early in the morning to deal with it. 

 

“Ten, you do this every time. You know the Witches Council runs on a rotational system when sending in representatives, why is this day any different from the last,” the vampire finally answered, becoming annoyed with the ongoing tirade. 

 

Ten looked over at him, offended by the hostility in his voice. “I’m aware of the rotational system and quite frankly, I think it’s stupid. I don’t see why it isn’t fixed like it is with every other supernatural group out there. Dahee and Juwon are much better at this than I am. Hell, they could’ve sent in Sicheng for this shit. Instead, they had me come in with some random kid from Busan.” 

 

“Okay, what about all of the times before having to come with someone you don’t know?”

 

“The same thing still applies, just with people, I associate myself with on a daily basis.” The two continued to walk down a hall with a series of conference rooms when Ten stopped them at a random room. The shorter man opened the door and peeked around before smiling to himself and walking in. 

 

“Ten, what the hell are you doing?” The pink-haired man gave his friend an incredulous look as Ten took his suit jacket off and made himself comfortable on top of the large conference table. 

 

“Pipe down Yong, I’m about to take a nap. Wake me up before the next meeting will you?”  He neatly folded the jacket before placing it on the table and laying down on it. Taeyong rolled his eyes as he closed the door and walked towards the lobby of the building. 

 

Representatives of all races, species, and nationalities were there to discuss the implementation of new sanctions for Transcendentals in the United Kingdom. The supernatural community worked hard, traveling across the globe to help each other in their fight for equality in a world dominated by humans. If there was some weight to Ten’s complaining, the amount of stress and exhaustion from the meetings were the bulk of it. Taeyong, despite having more energy now than when he was human, had to admit that he was tired. It was moments like this that made him miss the strong, bitter taste of coffee and its wonderful benefits. He was on his way to find an empty room to sleep in when his husband called him over. 

 

“Taeyong, sweetheart, come here. There’s someone I’d like for you to meet.” Jaehyun waved his hand, signaling for the other male to come over. Johnny was also with him, along with a brown-skinned woman. She had large, spiraling lavender hair adorned with pearls and a warm smile that reached her big brown eyes. Taeyong smiled back at the woman as Jaehyun began to introduce him in English. 

 

“Taeyong, I’d like you to meet Dr. Lena Johnson. She’s a representative for the Mermaid Council of the United States.” Taeyong bowed to the woman who returned the gesture. She then reached her hand out to shake his before he introduced himself. 

 

“Hello, Dr. Johnson. I’m Lee Taeyong, leader of the National Council for Transcendentals.” The woman waved her hand at him and began to speak in fluent Korean. 

 

“English won’t be necessary Mr. Lee. Using your native language is just fine. I’m very glad to be here talking with you all today because there is a lot of new developments that need to be addressed before the next session of the meeting begins.” The woman’s soft smile from before was replaced with a slight frown. She was ready to get down to business. 

 

“New developments? What’s happened since the last time we were in the States?” Taeyong was genuinely confused. He turned to look at his husband, seeing that the other man had an unreadable expression on his face. He looked back to the lavender-haired woman with the same level of confusion on his face.

 

“Well, a lot has certainly changed since you left Mr. Lee. Even more so after the news of your wedding got around.” She gave him a small smile before continuing. “Congratulations.” 

 

“Thank you”, Taeyong responded, absentmindedly playing with the ring on his left hand. “What happened in that time period? Is it something we should worry about here?” The mermaid went back to having a serious look on her face. 

 

“About four months ago the United States government decided to vote on new laws for the supernatural community. As you may know, sanctions for many Transcendentals around the world include the inability to work in human hospitals and schools, inability to attend human colleges and universities, a bar from joining and serving in the military, and countless other bans.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “Well, the new law they voted on shortly after you and many other representatives left made life significantly harder for us.” She looked at Johnny who had a displeased expression on his face. 

 

“John has been working hard with the Vampire Council in the States to try to fight against the law, but since it went into effect at the beginning of this year, the quality of life for Transcendentals has decreased dramatically.”

 

“Basically what they’ve done is perform another round of segregation between us and humans. This time, they’ve incorporated new tactics to further divide communities within the supernatural world and with humans,” Johnny stated, taking over for Dr. Johnson. “Not only are Transcendentals being taken out of schools and non-medical jobs with humans, but they are separating them by species into different geographical regions in the U.S. Vampires up the northeastern seaboard, mermaids pushed down to parts of Florida and Southern California, witches, and werewolves in the pacific northwest, it’s insane.” 

 

“The government hasn’t found your fairy population yet have they,” Taeyong asked. 

 

Dr. Johnson shook her head before answering him. “No, they haven’t found them. We’re doing our best to keep them hidden considering how we’re all being separated now. It’s going to be even harder once they throw us out of our government positions and other jobs. They’ve already taken school away from children and young adults.” She looked away from the group and Taeyong could see tears beginning to form in her eyes. Jaehyun walked over to the woman and began to rub her back. 

 

“Is there anything we can do,” he asked, trying his best to comfort her. The mermaid turned back to the other men before she spoke.

 

“There isn’t anything we can do,” she began, voice thick with emotion. Taeyong could see that she wanted to remain as professional as possible but the weight of the situation was obviously bringing her down. “They kicked our children out of the schools that were put up for them. They’re burning them down, not even caring if people are trapped inside. People are being forced out of their homes and relocated to areas we’ve never even seen before. And you know what the worst part of it is? We’re being used as science experiments and weapons; sometimes for sick fetishes. It’s horrible and there’s nothing we can do. They’ve taken every bit of freedom we had away from us in such a short period of time.” The tears began to fall down her full cheeks. 

 

“We just had a conference with them months ago. Were any of our pleas heard”, Taeyong desperately inquired. Dr. Johnson wiped her face with the back of her hand and looked at the pink-haired vampire. 

 

“None of it. Not a single word was taken into consideration. I wanted to get in touch with John to let you all know but communication for us has been shut off from the outside world. Since then, Russia, China, Canada, South Africa, and many other countries have been reviewing the U.S. laws and will work on similar ones for their own respective country.” Taeyong winced at the mention of Canada.

 

 “Canada is doing this too?”

 

Dr. Johnson nodded her head. “They’ve been siding heavily with the United States, especially after the 1950’s vampire attacks. Since the discovery of Transcendentals, aside from the U.S. and South Korea, Canada has had some of the harshest sanctions on their supernatural community to date.” She looked at Taeyong with sorrowful eyes. “The Canadians put this in effect about five years after you and your brother disappeared.” 

 

The vampire community was very, very aware of who Taeyong was. They were even more fascinated with his relationship with his younger brother. Only a select few people outside of that general group know about Mark. However, no one has seen him or has been in contact with him long enough to know him. Taeyong desperately tries to reconcile with the younger Lee but nothing comes out of his efforts. 

 

Dr. Johnson looked at her watch and began to straighten herself out. “The next session will start in about fifteen minutes. I have a very strong feeling that this will be the last time I attend such events. I am mostly here to warn you all to fight for your livelihood. Don’t let them take what freedoms you have away from you. All of you need to keep fighting and don’t stop until something has been done. Change is heading your way gentlemen.” She picked her bag up and began to walk away from the group. The mermaid stopped quickly to face them all. 

 

“It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Jung, Mr. Lee. It has been an exceptional honor working by your side Johnny.” She bowed to the group and walked away towards the conference hall. Jaehyun looked over to see the despairing expression on his husband’s face.

 

“Is everything alright Taeyong?” He walked over and wrapped his arm around his waist. 

 

“No, no it’s not. I’m worried about Mark. I have no idea where he is or if he even knows what is happening.” The shorter of the two removed himself from Jaehyun’s hold and turned to look at his husband. “What if something happened to him Jaehyun? He’s the only family I have left.” 

 

Johnny walked over to the couple and placed his hand on Taeyong’s shoulder. “I understand that you’re worried about him but we’re going to find your brother Tae. Wherever he is, I’m sure he’s alright. The kid made it this far from what I know.” The taller man gave Taeyong a small smile. 

 

“Thank you, Johnny. That means a lot.” 

 

Jaehyun looked at his watch and started to quickly make his way to the conference room. Taeyong and Johnny didn’t need Jaehyun to speak to know what was going on. They began to follow him down the busy hall when Johnny spoke up. 

 

“Do either of you by any chance know where my fiance ran off to?”

 

Taeyong stopped dead in his tracks before turning around and running down the hall. Jaehyun stopped and looked to see his husband going in the opposite direction. He raised his hands up in exasperation. 

 

“Taeyong, where the hell are you going? The conference hall is this way.” The dark-haired vampire pointed furiously in the direction of the conference hall. 

 

“Hold on, hold on! I forgot Ten was sleeping!”

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_ Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea - 7:30 PM _

  
  


One thing Mark learned about Donghyuck, was that he was funny. Really funny. The younger boy managed to make Mark laugh more than he ever has in his entire life. He was in the middle of telling Mark a very lively story of the first time Dahee taught him how to ride a broom. 

 

“So naturally being the annoying little sister she was, Jia wanted to learn too. Mom tried telling her she wasn’t ready but did she listen? No!”

 

“I can imagine.”

 

“Really now?”

 

“Yeah, I am...or was a younger brother.”

 

Donghyuck stared at Mark curiously. There were still a lot of things he didn’t know about the vampire, his family history being one of them. Having an essentially undead guy fall into your life without knowing  _ who _ he was should’ve been a red flag. Perhaps it was too late to worry about things like that. 

 

“Was?”

 

“I had an older brother but I have no idea what happened to him. Not after our parents’ death anyway.”

 

“I’m sorry that happened to your family Mark.”

 

He sounded sincere and part of it made Mark feel guilty. Taeyong was definitely alive and well, married now, but he wasn’t going to tell Donghyuck that. He didn’t need his past and whatever hang-ups he had to take precedent of his current situation. Right now, that was getting used to being a part of a new group, learning about the people involved and on some level, indulging in his crush on Hyuck. 

 

“It’s okay. I’ve healed from it for the most part. Honestly, at this point, I just want closure for them. To find whoever broke my family.” 

 

“What if they aren’t alive?”

 

“Well, it would be a damn shame wouldn’t it?”

 

Donghyuck bit his lip and looked away from the older man. He spotted a small ice cream shop ahead of them and smiled. 

 

“Hey, can you still eat ice cream”, he asked. 

 

“I don’t know. I never tried to eat anything like that since my change.”

 

“How about we go and find out?”

 

A tanned hand found its way into Mark’s and felt his heart soar as Donghyuck pulled him in the direction of the small shop. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I. Am. So. Sorry. It's been waaaayyyyyyy too long since I've updated this and it was mostly due to being uninspired. I had an idea of where I wanted this fic to go but it changed. Well, I'm back to update it and continue where we left off.   
> -The flashback is just the standard waking up and realizing you're something completely different scenario. Jaehyun is kind of a dick here but there's a reason why he was being harsh on Mark.   
> -For anyone who's new reading this, I do incorporate politics that fit the universe of this story. A lot of what happens in that spectrum influences many aspects of this story.   
> -Also, I understand that it is beyond March 2019 and my initial idea was to follow the year. While that hasn't happened, I will not change it and instead treat these events as past events and lead up to something more present day as we continue.   
> -Mark's crush is so sweet but he's just sweet in general  
> -Next chapter will pick up from this but there will be some violence happening   
> -Comments and stuff are greatly appreciated :)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first work ever and I'm more than excited to share it with everyone! I will create a Tumblr later on that will have more background information for this story, updates, character content, and the lore of the world that I am building. I do plan on posting updates at least twice a month (2x). I hope that I can provide you all with an entertaining story. -CQ


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